


Nothing is Impossible

by Panic_CelestialInk



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Major Character Injury, Multi, Nightmares, OT3, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Humor, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-09-01 13:03:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 72,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8625445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panic_CelestialInk/pseuds/Panic_CelestialInk
Summary: "Nothing is Impossible"Ling is about to find out how true that really is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Here it is, as promised. My much longer Greelingfan story—which is once again dedicated to Song of Hope and Honour, as it was her kind encouragement that prompted me to write this. I’m very nervous about uploading this, mainly because I’ve never tried to write a multi-chapter fanfic before, so I hope I managed to capture a flow, and there aren’t too many internal inconsistencies. 
> 
> There’s just a few things I want to clarify before we move onto the story.
> 
> In this story with my OT3, not only are both Greed and Ling interested in Lan Fan, but Greed and Ling are interested in each other. I know that sometimes bothers people, so I wanted this to be clear from the get-go.
> 
> I used a mix of Chinese and Japanese culture in order to create something “Xingese”. I really hope no one is too bothered or offended by that.
> 
> I don’t think there will be any smut depicted in this fic. There may be some smut at the very end, but it will be off-screen and left to the reader’s imagination. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, I find people tend to over-sexualise polyships, or use them as an excuse to write explicit smut, and I wanted to write away from that trend. Secondly, smut is hard to write. There are even prizes awarded to published authors for “Worst smut scene.” So, I decided if my authors can’t write it, I won’t attempt to.
> 
> Updates will be regular. Not daily, but I will try to get something uploaded as often as I can. However there may be two or three week gaps between updates. But, I can PROMISE that this fic will be finished, so I thank you in advance for your patience.
> 
> That’s all folks, so I have my fingers crossed that you like it.

Ling breathed deeply, the faint scent of cherry blossoms tickling his nose. The breeze tugged at the hem of his gold-and-purple changshan, and, if he really concentrated, he could hear the faint sounds of servants moving around the building beneath him. He knew it wasn’t appropriate for the Emperor to ditch his guards and go traipsing across the rooftops of the Imperial Palace, but he needed a place to think, where he wasn’t under the constant scrutiny of the Xingese Court. And, it wasn’t as if he was alone, after all. Even without his qi sense, he knew Lan Fan would be following him—keeping enough of a distance so that he could have his privacy.

 

As if he ever would want privacy from her.

 

But, since that assassination attempt a few months ago, Lan Fan had been maintaining a wary distance between them. It made his soul _ache_ but he had no idea how to handle it . . . being alone was the last thing he wanted.

 

Of course, there was a time when being alone had been impossible. When his head had been filled with raucous laughter and vulgar jokes made in a deep baritone that certainly didn’t belong to Ling. Ling felt a familiar, sharp pain in his chest. It had been over five years since Greed’s death and he still missed the homunculus. They had been friends, there at the end. They’d shared control of Ling’s body, like two warriors sharing a weapon between them. Who would have thought that having his body to himself would be so _terrifyingly lonely?_ He often found himself making comments to Greed— only to realise he wasn’t there.

 

He sighed, and he heard a faint footfall. He glanced back, and saw Lan Fan was crouching near him.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

He hoped she would continue, but she remained silent, waiting for him to respond or dismiss her. He sighed again.

 

“What is it, Lan Fan?”

 

“The meeting will be starting soon. The Representatives from the other Clans will be waiting for you.”

 

Ling groaned and got to his feet. “I suppose I should get going, then?”

 

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

 

                                                                                                                                              *****

 

Ling resisted the urge to sigh. The meeting had been going on for nearly four hours, and it seemed like it could go on for a few more. Every Clan seemed to have decided that today was the day that they would be _particularly_ difficult. He glanced around the Council room. The screens had been pulled back, and the bright sunlight glinted off the ornate, golden carvings that encircled the wooden columns. Servants moved quietly between the Clan Representatives, refilling glasses or removing papers. The bodyguards stood at attention, utterly still and deadly. Of course, none could compare to Lan Fan. He felt sorry for her, and wished he could pass her a drink of water, or something to snack on, but she’d never allow him to break tradition like that.

 

 _The Emperor can’t be concerned with the welfare of a mere servant_ , he thought bitterly.

 

He shook himself, and examined each of the representatives. Their faces clearly showed the same fatigue that Ling felt. The only one who seemed willing for the meeting to continue on was Wu Zhao—a scrawny man with a pointed moustache and a reedy voice that made Ling grit his teeth. Wu was both a Clan representative, and one of Ling’s advisors. Ling had to admit that he was extremely proficient at his job. If only he wasn’t so annoying. . .

 

Wu toyed with the end of his moustache as he examined his papers. “We still need to discuss the trade agreements with Ishval.”

 

One of the other representatives, Zuko Long, groaned.

 

“We’ve already examined the trade agreements,” Jenrya Wong pointed out. “Only last month, if I recall correctly.”

 

“Yes, and we all said that it was unfair to charge people huge amounts for basic necessities!”  Mei cried, jumping to her feet.

 

The five years since the Promised Day may have given Mei extra height, and longer hair, but they had done nothing to temper her fiery spirit. It was one of the things Ling liked about his little half-sister.

 

“They’ve barely begun rebuilding,” she exclaimed, “and they’re struggling, even with aid from both Xing and Amestris. You can’t just—”

 

“We heard your opinion last time, _Princess_. I was speaking to the Emperor,” Wu said smoothly.  “I wanted to know if his Imperial Majesty has reconsidered his position on the price we demand for our exports.”

 

“I haven’t. We are _not_ going to charge high prices on essential goods that the Ishvallans have to import from us.”

 

“Besides,” Jenrya Wong interjected, “we still make a profit.”

 

“Barely.”

 

“If you want, we can vote on it—again. All in favour of increasing the price we demand for our exports?”

 

Ling glanced around the room. Wu and one or two others had raised their hands, but no one else did. He almost smirked as he asked “All those who are opposed?”

 

The rest of the Representatives raised their hands; Mei’s shooting up before all the others. She was glaring at Wu, and Ling was sure that if she’d had her kunai on her, Wu would be a corpse.

 

“I guess that settles it,” Ling said. “Now—”

 

There was a sharp knock at the door. A servant scuttled in and said “Alkahestrist Alphonse Elric is here to see you, Your Majesty.”

 

Immediately, Mei’s face lit up, and Ling sat up straighter.

 

“Send him in,” Ling ordered.

 

The servant bowed, and disappeared. A second later, Al walked into the room and bowed respectfully. He looked utterly comfortable in the navy changshan and white trousers—clothes Ling suspected Mei had given him. Al had returned to Xing three months ago, and had settled in well enough. Ling suspected Mei had something to do with it, but Ling certainly wasn’t going to say anything—partially because Mei would stab him with her kunai, Emperor or not, and partially because he was genuinely happy for his little half-sister.

 

“It’s the _foreign dog_ ,” Wu muttered in Xingese as Al opened his mouth.

 

Al’s eyes flickered over to the man briefly, before he focused on Ling.

 

“ _I’m sorry to interrupt the meeting, Your Majesty, but Brother just called from the train station. He said there was an emergency_ ,” he said in flawless Xingese.

 

Ling barely had time to appreciate the shocked look on Wu’s face before he processed Al’s message. Ling went cold, and he felt Lan Fan tense beside him.

 

“Did he say what the emergency was about?” Ling asked, leaning forward, and steepling his fingers.

 

“No, but I think I know. And it’s a matter that requires your _personal_ attention.”

 

“A foreigner cannot demand the personal attention of the Emperor!” Wu hissed. “His Imperial Majesty—”

 

“It’s about the events of the Promised Day. And, I’m telling you, as a friend, that if you don’t help me sort this mess at the train station out, you’ll regret it, Ling.”

 

Ling’s breath caught. He looked into Al’s face and saw the truth there. He found himself nodding.

 

“Okay. I guess that means that we must draw this meeting to a close. You’re dismissed.”

 

The Clan Representatives stood and bowed to him, before starting to leave the room.  Most of them looked relieved, but some of them looked annoyed—especially Wu.  They’d probably start gossiping about how the Emperor neglected his duties because a foreigner asked him to.

 

_Well, we can add that to the list of things they complain about._

 

Soon, Mei was the only representative left in the room. She shooed the servants away, and came to stand by Al’s side. Xiao Mei immediately jumped from her shoulder to Al’s and he automatically began stroking the panda.

 

“What’s wrong, Alphonse?”

 

“ . . . you’ll see for yourself when we get to the train station.”

 

“You’re hiding something, Al,” Ling said, giving him a suspicious look.

 

Al rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I know what this is about, but I don’t want to get your hopes up if I’m wrong, so . . .”

 

“So, you want me to come with you to the train station?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“All right. Just give me a moment to change.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

“Wait here until I get back,” Ling ordered the driver, as he climbed out the car, Al right behind him.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

They entered the crowd of people rushing in and out of the train station. Ling looked around as he walked.The presence of the crowd seethed against his qi sense. But, that was nothing compared to the diversity of the people. There were dark skinned Ishvallans in their grey tunics mingling with the common Xingese people in their dark changshans. Amestrians in their fancy suits or formal shirts brushed past Xingese nobility in silk robes. There were porters lounging against the brick walls, and janitors picking up stray papers.

 

“Brother is probably somewhere inside,” Al said.

 

Ling nodded, and followed Al as he pushed open the glass doors and slipped inside.

 

Inside, it was even more crowded, and noisy. Here the noise of the trains mixed with the cacophony of voices, and the smell of coal smoke drifted over everything. They walked between the platforms, looking for a familiar golden ponytail.

 

“Any sign of Brother?”

 

 

“Not yet—although we should be grateful he’s tall enough now for us to spot him in this crowd.”

 

Al chuckled, and Ling flashed him a quick smile as they continued searching for Ed. There was no sign of the former alchemist—though Ling did see Lan Fan darting across the tops of the trains, close enough to protect him should the need arise. Honestly, though, who would recognise him in this mess of people? He looked like an ordinary person, in a black, sleeveless Nehru jacket and white pants. Though, he kept his Dao sword on him, just in case.

 

“Hey, Al did you see—“ Ling stopped as he realised Al wasn’t paying attention to the crowd anymore. His eyes were fixed on a tiny- brown kitten being carried by a young Xingese boy.

 

“No.”

 

“What?”

 

“Al, I gave you and Mei permission to turn one of my gardens into a sanctuary for stray cats. But, if you start stealing from my subjects, I’m putting my foot down.”

 

“I wasn’t going to steal it . . .” But, Al did look slightly guilty.

 

Ling scanned the crowd again, and sighed. Then, he spotted two guards wandering across the platform. He waved, and rushed up to them, Al close behind.

 

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a man named Edward Elric. He said to meet him here and that there was some sort of emergency? “

 

“Get lost,” the one man said.

 

The other, however, frowned and ran his hand absent-mindedly over his beard. “Edward Elric? Is he blonde with golden eyes?”

 

Al’s eyes lit up. “That’s my brother!”

 

“He’s being detained at the main office. But we can’t let civilians see him. Who are you two, anyway?”

 

“Ling Yao,” Ling gave a lopsided smile. “ _Emperor_ Ling Yao.”

 

“There’s no way that you’re—”

 

Suddenly Lan Fan appeared beside the guard, the point of her kunai pressed into his throat. The guard’s eyes went wide.

 

“He’s the Emperor, you fools. And you’d do well to remember that,” she hissed.

 

Ling snapped his fingers, and Lan Fan withdrew, coming to take her place beside him. Al looked like he was trying not to laugh. The guards sank into deep bows, though they kept sending panicked glances at Lan Fan. Ling had to admit, she did look intimidating in the uniform of the Imperial Guard—black hoodie, white mask, and leather breastplate. Not to mention the deadly automail where her left arm should be.

 

“Please, forgive us your Majesty. We didn’t realise you were  . . . the Emperor.”

 

Ling raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Ed tell you I was coming?”

 

“Yes, but . . .”

 

“But you didn’t believe the foreigner, am I right?” The guards exchanged guilty glances. “Ah well, no harm done. But if you’d be so kind as to take me to them, that would be great.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

 

The guards bowed again, and started pushing through the crowd. Ling, Al and Lan Fan followed just behind them, Lan Fan keeping a wary eye on the crowds.

 

                                                                                                                                     *****

 

The main office, it turned out, was found off to the left of all the platforms, behind a painted door with a sign stating “Staff only” on it. The one guard pushed open the door, and bowed as Ling, Al and Lan Fan walked past him into the room.

 

“I’ll fetch your friend,” the other guard said, and dashed off down another corridor.

 

Ling put his hands in his pockets, and looked around. It was a plain office. There were several, uncomfortable leather chairs pushed up against the wall, and a large, crudely carved wooden desk in the middle of the room. A secretary sat at the desk, looking incredibly bored, as she tapped her pencil against the desk. Her eyes widened as she saw Ling and his companions, and she glared at the remaining guard.

 

“Ying? What are you doing? You know you’re not supposed to bring civilians here!”

 

The guard pointed at Ling. “This is the _Emperor!_ I had to bring him here!”

 

“The _Emperor?_ ” The woman got to her feet and bowed. “Your Majesty, it’s an honour. What brings you—”

 

“There you are, you dumbass!”

 

Ling turned and saw a familiar blonde shoving aside security guards. He didn’t get very far, though, before he was tackled by Al.

 

“Brother!”

 

“Argh! Al, you’re crushing me! Let go!”

 

Al laughed, gave his brother another squeeze and released him. Ling couldn’t stop a smile. Ed hadn’t changed at all since Ling had last seen him—although, perhaps he was a bit browner from working on the farm in Resembool. He still had the same long, blonde ponytail, and the same impatient stride, though he wasn’t wearing his tacky red coat.

 

“What took you so long?”

“It’s pretty hard to ditch work when you run a country.”

Ed held out his fist. Ling bumped his knuckles against them, before pulling Ed into a rough hug, ignoring his squawk of protest.

“Get off me, you moron! Why is everyone trying to crush me?”

 

Ling let himself be shoved aside by Ed, as Lan Fan stepped forward, and bowed. Then, she held out her arm, and Ed gripped her forearm, in a traditional Xingese warriors’ greeting. After the Promised Day, Ed had helped her practice fighting and the sparring matches had made them much closer. Though they still argued a lot. Then, Ling caught sight of a blonde woman behind the guards.

 

“Winry!”

 

“Ling!” She threw her arms around him.  “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

 

“It’s great to see you, too. And you know, if Ed isn’t treating you properly, you can always divorce him and marry me!”

 

She smacked his shoulder. “Don’t be mean!”

 

“Yeah, that joke stopped being funny the first time you said it,” Ed said.

 

“I thought it was pretty funny,” Al said, earning him a glare from Ed.

 

Ling detangled himself from Winry so that she could greet Al and Lan Fan.

 

“So, Ed, what’s the big emergency?”

 

Ed jerked his thumb at the guards. “These idiots won’t let us leave the train-station.”

 

“Why? I gave you all border passes so you can go in and out of Xing as you pleased. Don’t tell me you forgot them again.”

 

“I didn’t forget them! It’s who we brought with that they’re having issues with.”

 

“Your Majesty, we have no problem with these two,” The one guard confirmed,  “It’s their companion . . . his qi . . .” the man shuddered.

 

“It’s vile.”

 

Ling gave Edward a suspicious look. “You’ve you brought, Ed?”

 

Ed rubbed the back of his head. “Look, we didn’t say anything because we weren’t sure if it would work . . . we didn’t want to get your hopes up if it went wrong, so . . .”

 

"Ed, you’re not making sense.”

 

“Just, come on!”

 

Ed grabbed Ling’s wrist and tugged him down a corridor.

 

“I’ll wait here with Winry!” Al called after them.

 

Ling pulled his hand free, and walked beside Ed. Lan Fan followed close behind them. Ling glanced at Ed.  The former alchemist was frowning, and kept shooting concerned looks at Ling. Ling wondered what Ed had done . . . Ling couldn’t remember Ed ever being this nervous around him before.

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, would you dumbasses let me outta here already!”

 

Ling doubled over. He shot Ed a glance, and Ed nodded, once.

 

It was all the confirmation Ling needed.

 

He sprinted down the corridor, Lan Fan right beside him. He followed the sound of vulgar complaints straight down the corridor and to an interrogation room. Ling burst through the door. He ignored the surprised shouts of the two officers—Lan Fan would deal with them. His eyes were focused on the other man in the room. He was a well-muscled, Amestrian man, with angular features and spiky, dark hair. He had wine-coloured eyes, and a razor-blade grin. Ling had never seen the man before in his life.

 

He would have recognised him anywhere.

 

“Greed” he whispered, and a tiny portion of his mind that wasn’t whirling noticed Lan Fan’s sharp intake of breath.

 

Greed stood up, and gave a lazy wave, letting Ling glimpse the ouroboros tattoo on his left hand.

 

“Hey, you little pissant. Long time—”

 

Ling’s fist connected with Greed’s nose, creating an impressive fountain of blood. He then grabbed the front of Greed’s vest and slammed him into the wall.

 

“The hell, Ling?! You broke my—”

 

“YOU BASTARD!” Ling shook him “YOU GODDAMN, FUCKING BASTARD! YOU LIED TO ME! YOU FUCKING LIED!”

 

“Of course I fucking lied! There was no way I was letting that asshole get you! And, you little shit, you weren’t going to let go otherwise!”

 

“You would have died if I had!”

 

“That’s not the fucking point. I—”

 

“YOU FUCKING MORON! DO YOU THINK I WANTED TO WATCH YOU DIE?! YOU WERE RIPPED OUT OF MY BODY AND I SAW YOU DIE IN FRONT OF ME! GODDAMNIT, I’VE MOURNED YOU FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS!”

 

Suddenly, Ling shoved the homunculus away and staggered over to one of the chairs. He collapsed into it, and covered his face with his hands. He could feel the slickness of tears on his cheeks. He glanced out between his fingers, and saw that the room was empty, save for himself, the homunculus, Ed and Lan Fan.

 

The homunculus was standing there. Greed was standing there. He was alive.

 

“This is impossible,” Ling breathed.

 

“Nothing’s impossible, kid.”

 

Ling saw that Greed was watching him intently. Ling looked away, angrily wiping at his tears with the heel of his palms. Ed glanced between the two of them and mumbled something about privacy before leaving the room. Ling took several deep breaths, and tried to wrangle his emotions. His dignity as the Emperor was probably in tatters, and by tomorrow, there would be more gossip about how the Emperor—

 

Ling’s thoughts stopped short as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, and his face was pressed into a muscular chest.

 

“Look, kid,” Greed voice rumbled against his ear. “I’m not going to apologise for saving your ass, but, well, I’m sorry you had to watch—no one should have to watch their friends die . . .”

 

_Roa. Martel. Dolcetto. Ulchi. Bido._

 

The names were whispers in Ling’s mind. He pulled away and looked into Greed’s wine-coloured eyes. Looking at Greed was strange . . . the last time he’d seen those eyes; they’d been staring out of a mirror at him. But, they were still unmistakeably Greed’s eyes—and they were filled with worry.

 

“I suppose I can forgive you . . . on one condition.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Don’t you ever fucking lie to me again.”

 

Greed laughed. “I’ll do my best kid, but no promises.”

 

Ling gave Greed a lopsided smile and they stood up. As they stood, Ling finally registered what Greed was wearing: A leather vest with fur ruff, tight leather pants, and leather straps around his wrists.

 

Ling’s jaw dropped open. Then, he doubled over clutching his stomach. Tears of laughter squeezed out of his eyes.

 

“Lan Fan!” he wheezed. “Lan Fan  . . . look! Look at what he’s wearing!”

 

Lan Fan glanced at Greed, and let out a snort. Greed glared at them both.

 

“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”

 

Ling was laughing too hard to answer. Lan Fan glanced at him, and then said, in a hesitant voice:

 

“When we went to Amestris a few years ago, His Imperial Majesty wanted to buy an outfit identical to yours.”

 

“Yeah, but Lan Fan stopped me.” Ling snickered again.

 

Greed stared at him for a second, and then roared with laughter.

 

“Looks like you rubbed off on me after all,” Ling said

 

“Yeah, well, it’s about time you got a sense of style, kid.” Greed clapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Oi! I have plenty of style. And you have taste as bad as Ed!”

 

“Then why do you want to wear—”

 

Lan Fan cleared her throat. The two men looked at her, and Ling felt his amusement drain away. Lan Fan walked over, and stood at attention in front of Greed.

 

“Homunculus, I wish to speak with you.”

 

“Erm, sure thing, Toots.”

 

Lan Fan sank down onto one knee. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

 

“Thank you for trying to protect my grandfather. And thank you for saving the Young Lord. If it wasn’t for you actions, we would have all died.”

 

“Yeah, well, erm. It wasn’t that big a deal.”

 

“And, I need to ask for your forgiveness for my role in your death.”

 

Greed’s eyes widenened. “Hey! Don’t you start feeling guilty over that, okay, Toots. I made the decision to take the bastard down.”  He suddenly reached out and pulled Lan Fan to her feet. “And, Toots, you can save the whole obedient-servant shit for that little pissant over there.”

 

Instead of moving away though, Greed leant closer, and ran his fingers over her automail arm. Ling could see her growing flustered.

 

“Anyway, Toots, I owed you one after you saved our ass from falling off that cliff. Your automail, was it badly hurt?”

 

“I-I tore out the port. . . it took me a while to recover.  We had to stay a few weeks in Rush Valley for my mechanic to fix it after the Promised Day. But, I’m better than ever, now.”

 

“Glad to hear it, Toots. And Toots . . . I’m sorry about the old man.”

 

Ling’s eyebrows rose. Although Greed never lied—almost never lied—the homunculus certainly wasn’t one to show his emotions easily. Yet, as he spoke, his voice rang with his sincerity. Lan Fan’s eyes widened and she mumbled a thank you, before stepping away.

 

“Now—”

 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Ed glanced in.

 

“Sorry to break up the reunion, but the security here are demanding to know what’s happening.”

 

Ling sighed. “I suppose that’s my cue to go bail your ass out of jail,” he said to Greed.

 

“Yep.”

 

“You wait here. I’ll sort this out, and then we can all go to the Imperial Palace.”

 

Greed gave an appreciative grin. “That sounds like a plan.”

 

Ling and Lan Fan left the room, and followed Ed towards the main office. Suddenly, Lan Fan caught his arm. Ling blinked in surprise.

 

“Your Majesty . . . I just wanted to say, it was good to hear you laugh again.”

 

“It was good _to_ laugh again.” _And it’s good to hear you talk to me again._ “I can’t believe he’s back.”

 

Greed the Avaricious was back.

 

And Ling’s world suddenly seemed a little bit brighter.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, here's Greed! (lol) And, you just know that things are not going to be the same for Ling now that the Homunculus is back.
> 
> Also, I loved the idea of Ling agreeing to allow Al and Mei to turn a part of the Imperial Palace into a cat sanctuary 
> 
> Also, I just wanted to let people know that the narrator will shift between Ling, Lan Fan and Greed, depending on the situation in the Chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated, the chapters will shift between the characters, so here we get a look inside the mind of our favourite homunculus!

Ling hadn’t stopped talking the entire drive back to the Imperial Palace, telling Greed everything he thought the homunculus needed to know—and probably several things he didn’t. Al didn’t interrupt, content to listen to Ling’s jabbering. Greed payed attention—mostly. But, every so often, he’d feel a set of eyes on him, and he’d glance out the window, to see Lan Fan staring warily at him. He had to admit, the five years he’d been—well, anyway, she looked _good_. All curves, and muscles and ferocity. Better than he remembered.

 

“We’re here!” Ling suddenly said, and Greed snapped his eyes forward.

 

His eyebrows rose and he gave a low whistle. The Imperial Palace was more like a miniature city. It  was built on a plateau above the capital, and  surrounded by such dense forests that an invading army only had one route to take. A route which previous Emperors had fortified with several watchtowers. The walls around the Imperial Palace had ornate carvings—which, Ling told him could hide snipers in times of war. The gates were huge, and covered with carvings of four sacred Xingese animals: a phoenix, a tortoise, a dragon and a tiger. They were also at least two feet thick.

 

The doors swung open, and the driver parked the car in one of the garages. Ling, Al and Greed hopped out the one car, while Winry and Ed got out the other. Lan Fan, who had been riding on top of their vehicle, jumped down and took up her position behind Ling. Though, not before shooting Greed a cautious glare. There were two people waiting for them. One was a short, young Xingese woman with her long hair in two braids, and a panda on her shoulder. Judging by the way her eyes lit up when she saw Al, Greed guessed that she was Mei Chang. The other person was a scrawny man with a ridiculous little moustache, who was wearing the tackiest set of silk robes Greed had ever seen. Both of them bowed, Mei a far shallower one than the other man, before Mei charged forward and hugged each of them.

 

“Did you sort everything out at the train station?” she asked Ling.

 

“Yep. They wouldn’t let Ed and Winry out of the station because of this guy.” Ling jerked his thumb at Greed. “They didn’t like his qi, apparently.”

 

“Oi, there is _nothing_ wrong with my qi.”

 

“It is vile,” Mei said, wrinkling her nose. “It reminds me of . . .” Her eyes suddenly went wide.

 

Greed gave her his widest grin and waved, letting her see the ouroboros tattoo on his left hand.

 

“How ya doing? The name’s Greed, the Avaricious.”

 

“ _Greed?!_ But, y-you’re—how—Alphonse, did you perform _human transmutation?!”_

 

“Of course I didn’t!”

 

“Alphonse, don’t you dare lie to me!” She rounded on him, eyes blazing, and kunai in hand.

 

“I swear, I—”

 

“Hey, Half-pint,” Greed interrupted. “Maybe you can wait to tear Tinman a new one until dinner? That way I can get food and a free show?”

 

Ed and Ling snickered while Al glared daggers at him. Winry tapped her chin in thought.

 

“That’s not a bad idea actually.”

 

“What? Ripping Al a new one?”

 

“No! Having dinner together, so we can all catch up.”

 

Ling nodded. “I’ll get Greed settled in, and then we can all meet up in one of the informal dining rooms in the inner suites.”

 

“Your Majesty, forgive my interruption,” the scrawny man said. “But the inner suites are reserved for the immediate family of the Emperor only. Perhaps another place would suit meetings with . . . foreigners . . . better?”

 

A muscle in Ling’s jaw twitched. “You’ve said that before, Wu. And, my response is still the same. I’m the Emperor, so I will decide how my rooms are to be used. Are we clear?”

 

“Yes. Of course, Your Majesty. I was merely suggesting—”

 

“Wu, if I need your advice, I’ll ask for it. Otherwise, keep quiet.”

 

Greed stared. He knew Ling was Emperor, but to see him take charge like that . . . it was pretty impressive. And kinda hot, too. 

 

“I’ll show Brother to his rooms, and we’ll meet up with you later.”

 

“Yeah, I have so much I need to tell you, Al. I think I’ve managed to solve the problem we were having about the separation of spirits during Chimera reversal. I think if we—”

 

“Can you two  alchemy freaks please wait until we’ve unpacked before you start going on about your work?” Winry groaned.

 

Ed laughed, wrapped an arm around Winry’s waist, and kissed her on the temple. “Sorry, Win.”

 

“Right,” Mei grabbed Al’s arm. “See you later.”

 

Mei led them off to the rooms the Elrics usually used—which, Ling told him later, were also situated in the inner portion of the Imperial Palace. We watched them go with a barely-veiled expression of distaste on his face. Greed would have liked to clobber it off

 

“So,” he asked Ling. “Where we off to now?”

 

“I thought I’d give you the grand tour,” Ling said.

 

“Your Majesty, that’s hardly appropriate. There are more important matters—”

 

“Hey, piss off,” Greed snapped, “Can’t you see Ling and I are in the middle of a conversation here?”

 

Wu turned red, and snarled something in Xingese that Greed understood to mean _Ugly foreign dog._

 

Ling stiffened, and glared at his adviser.

 

“Wu, we’ll discuss whatever matters we need to _after_ I see that Greed is settled in.”

 

Wu glared at Greed as said in Xingese. “ _Your Majesty, it’s not appropriate for you to show this concern over a foreign commoner. Let the servants handle this.”_

 

_“No. I owe Greed my life. Are you saying that the Emperor should abandon his honour?”_

 

_“Foreign dogs have no honour, thus your honour is not diminished by treating him as he deserves.”_

 

_“All people have honour, Wu._ You’re dismissed,” Ling said, and waved his hand.

 

Wu dropped a low bow and fired off another glare at Greed before rushing off down a corridor.

 

Greed gave a low whistle. “That man’s got a stick right up his ass. Why the hell did you employ him anyway?”

 

“He’s meticulous and efficient, as well as insanely good at his job.”

 

“He’s still a shit. _Foreign dog_ my ass.”

 

“You speak Xingese?”

 

“Why do you sound surprised? After six months of sharing your mind, I was bound to pick up something.”

 

“Yeah . . . so, you still up for the tour?”

 

“Hell yeah!”

 

                                                                                                                                ***** 

 

The inside of the Imperial Palace was also impressive. The outer areas of the palace contained the more public areas: training grounds, stables, servants’ quarters, council rooms, and so forth. The interior areas had rooms for the Representatives of each of the fifty Clans and, in the very centre of the Imperial Palace, were the Emperor’s—Ling’s—private chambers. As Ling lead them—Greed and Lan Fan— through the palace, Greed could see that the architects had been very careful to integrate beauty and majesty into the design: There were ornate carvings on all the columns, arched ceilings, and beautiful paintings on each of the screen doors. The walls were covered with exquisite tapestries depicting either one of Ling’s ancestors or some heroic story. And, several times, Ling lead them through gardens filled with blooming flowers and the fragrance of blossoming cherry trees. There were also plenty of water features in the gardens—tiny streams or placid ponds—as well as beautiful frescoes and exquisite statues made from marble, lapis lazuli or jade.

 

“Your rooms are this way,” Ling said, as he lead them up the narrow staircase and pushed open the screen door with a theatrical wave of his hand.

 

Greed’s eyebrows rose.  “Not bad, kid.”

 

The suite of rooms was spacious. The parlour was filled with ornately carved wooden furniture, including a low table with cushions for seating, another table surrounded with proper chairs—obviously for more formal events—a writing desk, and a daybed. There were silk hangings on the walls, and a few ceramic vases in the corners, with tiny trees growing inside them. Greed walked through the room, letting his fingers run along the polished surfaces of the furniture. He pulled back on of the screen doors, and saw that it led to a bedchamber. There was a futon—a large one—in the centre of the room. Greed was sceptical of how comfortable a bed so close to the floor could be, but it had silk sheets so that was a plus.  And plenty of wardrobes—as well as a polished, full-length mirror. Greed could see an adjoining bathroom—with an enormous bathtub, much to his delight.

 

“You can leave your things on the bed, and the servants will put it away,” Greed opened his mouth to protest against other people touching his stuff, but Ling ignored him and said. “Don’t worry, I’ll personally guarantee that nothing will go missing.”

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Greed walked over to the daybed, and flopped down.

 

He then fixed Ling with a look and leant forward, steepling his fingers. “I gotta ask, kid. How did you become Emperor, anyway? I mean, obviously the old geezer didn’t use the philosopher’s stone, or he’d still be on the throne.”

 

Ling held up a hand, and snapped his fingers. Lan Fan appeared at Ling’s side, making Greed jump.

 

Fuck, he’d forgotten how _quiet_ she was.

 

“Check that there isn’t anyone listening in on us,” he ordered.

 

Lan Fan nodded, and disappeared out the screen door. Ling walked over, and sat on one of the cushions opposite Greed. He folded his legs into a perfect lotus, and rested his palms on his knees. It was the exact same position that Ling had usually taken while Greed was in control of their body—it was kinda strange to see Ling sitting like that in real life. Lan Fan reappeared and bowed to Ling.

 

“There’s no one here.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

She bowed again, and disappeared—presumably to keep watch outside. Ling sighed and said.

 

“As you know, I needed a philosopher’s stone to secure my place as successor. But, I wasn’t going to tell the Emperor how to make a philosopher’s stone.” Ling clenched his fists. “If he knew how to do it, he would have killed hundreds, _thousands_ , of my people in order to achieve immortality.”

 

“Sounds like my old man,” Greed muttered.

 

“Exactly. I wasn’t about to let that happen. So, I told him I had no idea how to make a philosopher’s stone, but that I’d managed to locate one.”

 

“And you gave it to him?”

 

“Yes,” Ling’s eyes opened slightly as he smirked. “However, I _didn’t_ tell him that I’d asked Mei to use up most of the stone’s power healing people on the way to the Imperial Palace. By the time we got there, the stone only had enough power to extend his life by two years”

 

Greed grinned. “You’re a sneaky bastard, you know that?”

 

“So I’ve been told.”

 

“Anyway, where are you staying?”

 

“My rooms are just a short way down the hall. I thought it would be best to keep an eye on you.”

 

Greed smirked. “I’m the one who’s going to be keeping an eye on you, kid. I know how much trouble you get into and  I wanted to ask. . . where does Lan Fan stay?”

 

“Her chambers are also near mine.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Greed said with an appreciative grin. “And let me guess, the rooms are adjoining with a connecting door that would allow a randy Emperor to visit the sexy bodyguard in the middle of the night?”

 

“No! It’s not like that!”

 

Greed snorted. “Pull another one, kid. I was there when Lan Fan returned. I _felt_ your reaction to her. You’re head-over-fucking heels, and there’s nothing you can do to convince me otherwise.”

 

Ling groaned and flopped sideways onto another one of the cushions. “You haven’t been back for more than a few hours and already you’re driving me insane!”

 

“That’s the plan.  Now, spill what’s been happening between you and Lan Fan.”

 

Greed hadn’t been prepared for the flash of grief that passed over Ling’s face. “Nothing’s happened. We were close until a few months ago, but there was an assassination attempt by a group calling themselves the “Pure Xingese”.”

 

“ _Who the fuck are they?!_ ”

 

“They’re a group who disapprove of the non-traditional moves I’ve made, such as making education available for all, commoners and nobility alike, and annulling all marriages between children under the age of eighteen. They think that I’m undermining the traditions of our ancestors. But, that’s not it. I respect tradition, but culture and tradition are fluid . . . they constantly change. And if we don’t change, Xing will stagnate and die.”

 

Ling gave a grim smile. “But, not everyone sees it that way, so they tried to send a group of suicide bombers to blow up the Imperial Palace.” It was suddenly very hard for Greed to breathe. “They didn’t succeed, of course, but they went underground before we could catch them. And, since then, Lan Fan has been the absolute perfect bodyguard—never breaking tradition. Never acting as a . . friend.”

 

Something in Ling’s voice forced Greed to really look at him. Earlier, Greed had thought Ling looked pretty damn good. Well-muscled, broad shouldered, and with a head of hair Greed wanted to run his hands through. But now, Greed noticed the black circles under his eyes, the tension in his shoulders and neck . . . and worse, the loneliness in his voice. Greed felt his stomach twist, He stood up, and started forward, when he noticed something else.

 

“Kid, what’s that?”

 

“What?”

 

“That, on your arm.”

 

“Oh, that. Another assassin tried to take me out shortly after my coronation. He wasn’t expecting me to be armed, but he managed to get a lucky shot in before I took him out.”

 

Greed knelt down and pulled Ling’s arm closer to him. He traced the scar, and felt Ling shiver. Greed looked up and saw the flustered expression on Ling’s face.

 

“What are you doing, Greed?”

 

“How many?”

 

“What?”

 

“How many assassination attempts?”

 

“Thirteen, fourteen, maybe? Lan Fan would know.”

 

Greed ground his teeth together and tightened his grip on Ling. “Damnit, Ling . . .”

 

“Don’t worry, Greed. I’m fine.”  Ling gently loosened Greed’s grip and stood up. 

 

“Follow me. There another place I need to show you.”

 

He crossed the room, pushed open another screen door, and started down a spiral staircase. Greed followed, running his hand across the smoothed wall. The staircase passed through an ornately carved archway and ended in a large garden. There was a path made from white pebbles winding through neatly clipped grass. There were blooming flowers wherever Greed looked, and several trees with gnarled trunks amongst them. A gushing stream ran right through the centre of the space. But, none of that really captured Greed’s attention. The entire garden was filled with marble altars, each one hand-crafted by some master artisan. On top of each altar was a portrait and several sticks of incense. Greed recognised the nearest portrait and froze. Suddenly, Ling’s voice seemed to be coming from a long way away.

 

“This is how we mourn in Xing. I didn’t want your Chimera friends to be forgotten. I hope the portraits are okay? You’ll—you’ll tell me if I left anyone out.”

 

Greed tried to speak, but the words jammed in his throat. His eyes skimmed over the altars, and counted. They were all there. All thirty five. Wait, maybe there was one—

 

“Is there something I can do for you, Greed? Would you like—“

 

“It’s fine, kid. I’m fine.” His voice sounded nothing like it usually did.

 

Ling gave him an understanding look. “I’ll give you some privacy, then.”

 

Ling bowed and disappeared up the stairs, leaving Greed alone. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn’t know how the Xingese mourned. He’d done enough mourning back in Amestris.

 

Hell, he still felt responsible for his henchmen. His possessions. His soul’s family, as Ling had called them. That was why he had gone behind Ed’s back and called up Mustang in order to arrange pensions for the surviving family members of his gang: Roa’s younger sister, Ulchi’s boys and Dolcetto’s aging parents. Well, they’d made the arrangements _after_ Mustang finished yelling at Ed for attempting human transmutation, and Ed finished yelling at Mustang that it wasn’t a human transmutation since Greed wasn’t actually a human. Greed shook himself, and started to walk through the altars. They had been polished to perfection and gleamed in the afternoon sunshine. He went to the nearest altar and glanced at the portrait. The details of the portrait were a bit vague, yet Greed could still recognise Martel’s sharp features and crew cut. Her name had been written both in Xingese characters and in Amestrian on the portrait.

 

With trembling fingers, Greed lit the incense sticks. He then pressed his palms together, and bowed towards the portrait.

 

_Did Ling really rub off on me so much?_

 

Yet, the gesture felt right. Greed moved between the altars, repeating the process in front of each one, and deliberately ignoring the growing pain in his chest. Then, he reached an altar with the portrait of a bald young man with a long nose. Bido.

 

Suddenly, Greed was back there, in those god-awful damp sewers, with blood on his claws, and  Bido’s body in his arms. He could hear an animal howling—and vaguely he realised the noise was coming from him. He slammed his fists into the altar, leaving off his Ultimate Shield. He heard bone snap. Agony shot up his arm. But, it felt good. Better than the pain in his chest. He did it again. And again. And again. The light from his healing injuries almost blinded him. He didn’t care. He didn’t care if he destroyed his own philosopher’s stone. 

 

“Greed! Stop! You’re hurting yourself! Greed!”

 

Suddenly, Ling was in front of him, grabbing at his wrists. Greed weakly tried to pull away.

 

“Stop it, Greed! You need to calm down!”

 

“ _Calm down_? They’re _dead_. All dead –and it’s my fucking fault! I killed them.”

 

Ling grabbed Greed, and dug his fingers into Greed’s shoulders. “Stop it! It wasn’t your fault! I understand—”

 

“How? How could you possibly understand—“

 

“Because there is an altar for you in here!”

 

Greed stared at Ling.

 

_An altar for . . ._

 

Greed felt his face contort, and he collapsed forward.  He pressed his face into Ling’s shoulder, and Ling held him close.  Greed cried until there were no tears left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you like my explanation of how Ling became Emperor. I really don't believe that Ling would have taken another Philosopher's Stone into his body, because I think he was too traumatized by Fu's death to ever want to outlive all his loved ones. I also don't think he'd ever tell the Emperor how to make a Philosopher's Stone, since Mei said that the Emperor would have killed many people to try and mke himself immortal, and Ling wouldn't want that to happen to his people.


	4. Chapter 4

Greed poked at his dumplings. Usually, a feast like this would have had him stuffing his face—there were spicy pork dumplings, skewers of coriander chicken, stir-fried noodles mixed in with vegetables, and a number of other Xingese dishes. Ling and Mei were tucking in heartily, followed closely by Ed and Al. Only Winry was eating what would be considered a normal plate of food.

 

“You okay, Greed?” she asked, as she caught him looking at her.

 

He forced his expression into something resembling his usual grin. “I’m fine, Peaches. Don’t worry about me.”

 

Ed looked up from his plate. “You look like hell, Greed.”

 

“Piss off, you little runt.”

 

“What did you call me?”

 

“Brother, calm down.”

 

“I’ll calm down—right after I kick his ass!” Ed tried to leap across the table at Greed, only to be caught by both Ling and Al.

 

“Ed, enough. This isn’t the time.”

 

“Let the Runt go, kid. I’m itching for a fight.”

 

Who knew? Maybe if he beat the crap out of Ed, Greed’s emotions would finally settle down? Right now they were swirling, churning, deep inside Greed’s soul, making everything . . . painful. Winry glanced between the two of them.

 

“Ed, please, stop it.”

 

Ed seemed to deflate, and both Ling and Al released him.

 

“Sure, Winry. But, I’ll get you for that, Greed.”

 

“As soon as you want your ass kicked, let me know.”

 

Al cleared his throat awkwardly. “Actually, Greed , you can’t fight anyone while you’re here. Or spar against anyone, now that I think of it.”

 

“What? Why the hell not?”

 

“Well, for one thing, there would be a lot of questions if anyone saw your Ultimate Shield.”

 

“So? I can leave it off.”

 

“Even if you did, there’d still be questions over your instantaneous healing. So, until we can figure out how to hide everything, you’re just going to have to avoid fighting.”

 

“Oh, that’s just fucking perfect. Thanks for ruining my night, Tinman.”

 

Greed threw down his chopsticks, and slammed his fist into the cushions next to him. He was half-tempted to cover his fist with the Ultimate Shield, and break the table, but it wasn’t the table’s damn fault he couldn’t fight. Greed glared at one of the wall hangings opposite him—and imagined throttling Al with it.

“Erm, isn’t Lan Fan going to join us?” Winry asked.

 

Al and Mei glanced at each other, as Ling tensed.

 

“It’s not _appropriate_ for a guard to eat with the Emperor.” The bitterness in Ling’s voice could have poisoned the food on his plate. Greed’s eyebrows rose. Yep, he definitely needed to sort the Ling-Lan Fan situation out, fast. Before his possessions were too broken to fix.

 

“Cut the crap, Ling. You and Lan Fan always ate together. What happened?” Ed demanded.

 

“Brother, I’ll tell you later,” Al said.

 

Ed frowned. “. . . okay.”   

 

“And speaking of telling people things,” Ling raised an eyebrow at the Elrics, “You want to explain how Greed is here right now?”

 

“You can blame Van Hohenheim for that,” Ed said.

 

“Your Dad?”

 

“Yep. You remember how he wanted to exchange himself for Al, but I said no. Well, apparently he felt bad that he couldn’t help his sons, so he wanted to help out his nephew.”

 

“Nephew?”

 

“Yep. If you consider that Van Hohenheim and Father were blood brothers, then that makes me, Al and Greed cousins. Or, if you consider Hohenheim as Father’s father, then I’m Greed’s uncle, which is too weird to think about. Anyway, apparently Hohenheim wandered around Central Command for a while after the battle—collecting the souls of the Xerxians that had been inside Father and unable to cross over, as well as all the ones inside those Mannequin soldiers. Once he had them all, he drew up a circle and spoke to Truth. He offered the souls in exchange for Greed’s philosopher’s stone, and Greed’s memories. Truth accepted, and Hohenheim ended up with a philosopher’s stone meant for Greed. But Hohenheim didn’t have time to transmute the stone into a body. So he took it to Resembool, and left it with Pinako, along with a note explaining everything.”

 

“If that happened after the Promised Day,” Ling asked, “then, why is he here only now?”

 

“Pinako forgot about the message and only gave it to us about eighteen months ago,” Al explained. “And it took Brother and me a while to work out how to create a human body without a soul, so we could place Greed’s stone into it.”

 

“I wasn’t about to let Al commit human transmutation for this idiot—Greed’s ass isn’t worth that much to me,” Ed muttered.

 

Greed snorted. “My ass is worth twice yours, Runt, but you two have a limited supply of limbs, so I don’t blame you for taking your time.”

 

“Gee, thanks.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Greed understood why Ed had been reluctant to let Al perform a transmutation that quivered on the edge of the taboo. Al had only had his body back for a few years, and if he lost it again . . .

 

“So, is there anything in particular you want to do while you’re in Xing?” Mei asked, with a glance at Greed.

 

“Well,” Winry said. “You told me that one of the Clan Representatives is interested in automail, so I guess I’d like to meet them.”

 

“That would be Asami Sato. She’s always been interested in mechanics, but since her trip to Ishval, she’s been looking for a reason to return to Amestris. Apparently she became _really close_ to an Ishvallan alchemist named Korra while she was there.”

 

“Oh, really?” Ling smirked. “So that’s the reason behind all her petitions. And, what about you, Ed? What have you got planned?”

 

“Besides getting back the money you still owe me? I’d like to check out some of the libraries. There might be new aspects of alkahestry I haven’t discovered yet.”

 

“Oh, there is something I have to show you, when we get to a library.” Ling was grinning mischievously as he spoke.

 

"Oh,” Ed raised an eyebrow “And what’s that?”

 

“The account of our adventures in Gluttony’s stomach. According to that record, you are “The Man Who Fed the Emperor a Shoe”.”

 

“ _What?!_ ”

 

Greed roared with laughter, followed by the others. Ed stared at them for a moment, then started laughing too.

 

“At least I went down in history for something!”

 

“Oh, that's priceless. How the hell did the Runt get you to eat a shoe?” Greed asked Ling

 

“It’s a long story . . .”

 

“Don’t start it yet! I want to know what you plan to do in Xing, Greed?” Mei asked.

 

Greed flashed her a grin. “I’m just here to have some fun, Half-pint. Don’t worry about me.”

 

For some reason, she sent him a suspicious look. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like he was lying. He wanted to have some fun, and spend some time with Ling. A lot of time, since it was obvious the kid couldn’t take care of himself. And fix the whole Ling-Lan Fan mess. 

 

But, that look made him feel  . . . edgy.

 

He cleared his throat. “Now, what’s this about a shoe?”

 

“Well . . .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's Chapter 4. Let me know what you think. I hope that the explanation for Greed's return made sense!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we get a look inside Lan Fan's mind. And, we'll see some of the underlying problems Greed's return causes for Ling. Hope you all enjoy.

Lan fan sat bolt upright, blinking in her dark room.

 

_What in the world—_

 

A scream tore through the night. Lan Fan leapt out of her futon, sprinted across the room, as swift as a shadow, and was through the adjoining door within moments. She dashed through the Young Lord’s moonlit parlour, leaping over the low table, and rushed towards the screen door that lead to his bedchambers. She immediately saw the source of the problem. The Young Lord was tangled in his sheets, thrashing and yelling, and in the faint light flitting in from the half-drawn screen on the window, she could see the glimmer of wetness on his face. She rushed to his side and grabbed his shoulder. Instantly,  his eyes flew open and he struck out. Lan Fan caught his fist and blocked his second punch easily. She saw the recognition settle on his face.

 

“Lan Fan? What are you doing here?” The Young Lord was trembling in her grasp, and panting.

 

“I heard you scream . . .”

 

Slowly, the Young Lord lowered his arm, and she released his other hand.  He took a shuddering breathe and pressed his face into his hand, She looked away, and busied herself with lighting the oil lamp on his bedside table, while he wiped away the tears on his cheeks.

 

Once there was a strong light in the room, Lan Fan discretely glanced over at the Young Lord, her eyes searching for any injuries. She couldn’t see any wounds, though he was still pale and shaking. And she couldn’t sense any other presences nearby, other than the qis of the two guards posted outside the Young Lord’s room. As her eyes moved over his body, she couldn’t help noticing how sculpted his chest was, and how strong—

 

_Stop it! Stop it with these stupid thoughts!_

 

She gritted her teeth, and lit one of the tapers on the Young Lord’s side table.

 

“I’m just going to do a quick check to see if there is anything wrong” She got to her feet, taking the taper into her automail hand.

 

“Don’t worry, Lan Fan. I was just having a nightmare.”

 

“It’s my duty, Your Majesty.” She gave a small bow and left the room, to check the other parts of the Emperor’s private chambers. In the parlour, the soft candlelight picked out the gold thread in the tapestries on the walls, and made the silk hangings gleam. It also glinted off the decorative weapons mounted on the walls. She peered under the carved writing desk, and under the low tables. She even lifted up the cushions, and checked behind the bookshelf.  Nothing there. The bathroom and the Young Lord’s study were equally devoid of any threats, so she returned to his bedchambers. The Young Lord was sitting, cross-legged on his bed, apparently deep in meditation, but when she tried to withdraw, he swiveled his head to look at her.

 

“Did you find anything?”

 

“No, Your Majesty.”

 

“I’m sorry I woke you up. You should get back to bed. It’s late.”

 

The Young Lord sounded so  . . . exhausted? Resigned? Lonely? She wasn’t sure, but she felt something in her responding to him. She squashed the feeling. She _had_ to behave as the perfect Imperial Guard. Anything less would endanger him.

 

Lan Fan bowed. “I need to check on the guards first. They should have responded the moment you cried out.”

 

“I know . . . You did say that they weren’t up to standard.”

 

Lan Fan nodded. She had protested viciously against the Young Lord taking on additional guards, stating that it was her duty to protect him. He’d pointed out that she couldn’t guard him every moment of every day, no matter how hard she tried. She reluctantly agreed, and though she still took on the majority of the responsibility in protecting the Young Lord, there were moments that she had to hand over his safety to another person. She hated those moments.

 

She bowed again, and left the room. She crossed the parlour, pushed open the screen door, and scowled. The two guards who were supposed to be on duty were leaning against the column, and snoring softly. Lan Fan gritted her teeth, and set down her taper.  She attacked. Her first kick struck the one guard in the side, and she heard several of his ribs snap. His yell woke his companion, who just had time to blink before her automail fist collided with his jaw. He went flying across the corridor, and landed in a heap. She stood over them, ignoring their groans

 

“You two are a disgrace to the Palace Guards,” she snapped,  “I’m taking over your duties from now on. Now, go find an alkahestrist!“

 

The guards struggled to their feet, and limped off down the corridor. Lan Fan glared after them, before blowing out the taper. The screens in the corridors had been drawn away from the windows, and moonlight spilt into the Imperial Palace, glistening off of the ornamental carvings. She took several breaths in order to compose herself.

 

“So, what was that about, Toots?”

 

Lan Fan whirled, drawing her kunai and freezing as she recognised the spiky-haired figure. Her blade hovered a fraction from impaling him. Or rather, breaking against the Ultimate Shield he’d drawn across his chest.

 

“Careful with that thing, Toots,” he said, flicking the blade with a clawed finger. “You could cause some serious damage, here.”

 

“What are you doing here, homunculus?”

 

“Who can sleep with the brat screaming his head off? I thought I’d come and see if he was okay. Then, I heard your voices, so I thought I’d better not interrupt if you too were getting down and dirty.”

 

Heat rushed across her face. “It wasn’t like that! I thought he was being attacked, but it was just a nightmare.”

 

Greed laughed. “Don’t worry, Toots. I’m just messing with you. But, seriously, is Ling okay?”

 

“The Emperor is fine, homunculus.”

 

“Emperor, homunculus . . . what the hell have you got against first names?”

 

“You don’t call me by my name,” she said, sheathing her kunai.

 

“Yeah, but I do that with everyone. The only people you do it with is me and Ling.”

 

“Fine, _Greed_ , why are you here?”

 

“I was worried about Ling.”

 

“I meant, why are you in Xing?”

 

“Same reason. I wanted to see how Ling was doing. And judging from that” Greed jerked his head towards the door, “I’d say he’s having a rough time.”

 

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” Lan fan said, quoting her grandfather.

 

“Yeah, whatever. Now, I gotta ask Toots, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

 

“What?”

 

“I mean, I know you got a bunch of hang-ups about duty and propriety and other crap, but, right now it’s killing Ling, you know that? You’re his closest damn _friend_. And suddenly, you abandon him.”

 

“I never—“

 

“Yeah, you did. You may be standing here, but Ling says that you might as well be standing on the moon, for all the good it does. He can’t talk to you, or laugh with you anymore. And, I’ll tell you this straight—if you don’t start acting like you’re his friend—and I know you are—then Ling won’t be able to cope. Trust me.”

 

“And how would you know? How would you know anything about this?”

 

Greed gave her a grim smile “I shared a body with him for six months. I know him as well as he knows himself.”

 

Lan Fan bit her lip. Greed  might be right, as much as she didn’t want to admit it. The Young Lord had been more and more stressed, and she’d tried to  protect him by retreating into her role as Imperial  Guard.

 

But if that was harming the Young Lord . . .

 

“You don’t know anything . . .” she repeated, but there was no fight left in her voice.

 

Greed raised his eyebrows. “Well, I’ve said my piece. Believe what you want.” Greed stretched, his spine cracking. “Toots, it seems you’ve got everything under control here, so I’ll leave you to it.”

 

He started down the corridor and gave her a lazy wave. “Call me if anything happens.”

 

She watched him disappear, his words churning in her mind. She didn’t know what to do. If she remained cold and distant, the Young Lord might not cope. But, if she returned to being friendly, she might bring more assassination attempts. She needed guidance.

 

She needed to talk to Grandfather.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Lan Fan breathed in deeply, the smell of sandalwood filling her lungs. She pressed her palms together, and bowed respectfully.

 

“I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last visit, Grandfather. But things have been chaotic at the Court, and I’ve been busy trying to protect the Emperor.”

 

She looked at her Grandfather’s portrait. Major Armstrong had given her the portrait when he’d visited Xing after the Promised Day. He said he wanted to honour a man who had done so much for both him, and his subordinate Second Lieutenant Maria Ross. Although it wasn’t traditional for someone other than a family member to draw the portrait, Lan Fan didn’t have the heart to refuse the teary-eyed Major. And, the portrait was a great one—somehow the Major had managed to capture the half-fond, half-stern expression her Grandfather had usually had.

 

The altar had been built within the interior parts of the Imperial Palace. The Young Lord had told her to pick whatever spot she thought best for Fu’s altar. She’d chosen one of the more secluded gardens, one with a large koi pond, and many cherry trees—they were her Grandfather’s favourite. When some of the clan representatives had protested against a commoner being honoured with the Imperial Palace, the Young Lord had told them flatly that Fu had been a great man, and had saved his life, which meant he deserved the highest honour possible.

 

Lan Fan took another deep breath. The walls of the garden were covered with jasmine, and their heady scent made Lan Fan’s head  spin. She licked her lips.

 

“Grandfather, I need your advice. The homunculus Greed—the one that swallowed the Emperor—has returned. I don’t know whether or not to trust him. On the one hand, he was the one who stole the Emperor’s body. But, Grandfather, he helped the Emperor fulfil his vow to the men of Briggs. He _saved_ the Emperor and he sacrificed himself to do it. “

 

She closed her eyes briefly, as an image of the homunculus’ disintegrating soul darted across her mind—accompanied by the strange mix of regret and grief it always brought. She took a breath and continued.

 

“Greed was really worried about your well-being, when Wrath injured you . . . and mine. When I stopped him falling off the cliff, I thought he’d order me to pull him to safety. Instead, he told me to let him fall. The drop could have killed him—yet his concern was for you, and the pain I was in from holding him up. But . . . he’s supposed to be the incarnation of selfishness and a hunger for power. Do I trust him? The Emperor does, and so do the Elrics, but what if they’re wrong? If I trust him, and something happened to the Emperor, I’d never forgive myself.”

 

As usual, the portrait was silent. The only sounds came from the breeze brushing through the cherry blossoms above her head. One of the flowers came off its branch, and drifted down to land lightly on the altar. Lan Fan dusted it off and continued.

 

“More than that . . . Grandfather, I’ve been trying to protect the Emperor by remaining in my role of Imperial Guard. To distance myself from the Emperor so that our relationship can’t be used as a weapon against him. But, the homunculus says that the distance between myself and the Emperor is harming the Emperor—and I fear he’s right. So do I endanger the Emperor and return to being his friend? Or I continue to harm him by remaining distant?”

 

Still, no answer. She sighed. “I wish you were really here, Grandfather. You’d know what to do in this situation.”

 

_Trust your instincts, Lan Fan. Your instincts are your best guide._

 

It was one of her Grandfather’s favourite pieces of advice. But, right now, she wasn’t sure if her instincts were leading her anywhere. If she made a mess of this, she could endanger the Emperor—and her whole country.

 

“I wish you could send me a sign. Show me that what I’m doing is right.” She bowed again to the altar. “I miss you.”

 

She straightened, refastened her mask, and left the garden. It was time to return to the  Emperor’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is how Lan Fan gets guidance. I always thought that she and her Grandfather were close, and that she would miss him terribly after his death. I hope that the mourning rituals of Xing turned out okay?


	7. Chapter 7

Over a week. The Young Lord had woken them up with his screaming for over a week now. She didn’t know what to do. She’d tried all the usual methods: milk, tea, extra exercise—nothing worked. She needed a solution before— She caught sight of movement in the corner of her eye, and ducked as the training dummy swiped at her head. She moved into the opening, and sliced off its arm, before dodging out the way. Another dummy lashed at her legs, but she easily evaded the blow, and rammed her knee into the target area on its trunk.

 

_What could he be dreaming about? He hasn’t had nightmares this bad since we returned from Amestris with the philosopher’s stone. When Grandfather . . ._

 

One of the dummies landed a glancing blow on her shoulder, and she growled, retaliating by kicking its head clean off its shoulders. She could almost hear her Grandfather scolding her for her lack of focus. But, how could she focus on her training when the Young Lord was obviously in trouble?

 

“Hey, Lan Fan!”

 

Lan Fan blocked a blow and glanced towards the edge of the training ground. A familiar figure, wth long golden hair was waving at her. She stopped the dummy with an elbow strike, and then did a light back-handspring out of the range of the training dummies. She straightened as Ed walked towards her.

 

“I was wondering if you wanted to spar a bit.”

 

“Spar?”

 

“Yeah. We can do the thing you showed me, where you try and force your opponent out the circle.”

 

She felt a thrill of excitement. “Of course.”

 

They walked over to the other side of the training arena, where a rope had been laid out in a ring. The purpose of the exercise was to try and force your opponent out of the circle. Simple enough—depending on how good your opponent was. Lan Fan took up a guard stance, and so did Ed. She breathed deeply, feeling Ed’s qi pulse as he readied himself. For a moment they stood there, sizing each other up. Then Ed lunged, trying to land a double punch, which Lan Fan dodged and retaliated with a hammer-fist strike to his head which he barely avoided. He let off a series of punches that Lan Fan automatically responded to: outside block, inside block, downward block, upward block, inside block, downward block, until she saw an opening and gave him a good, solid kick to the chest. He staggered back, and she launched her own series of attacks.

 

He held her off, and then aimed a punch at her face. She caught the punch and tried to use Ed’s momentum to toss him out the circle. Instead, he threw himself back and sent them both sprawling into the sand. Lan Fan got to her feet, saw Ed was grinning, and realised that she was as well. Sweat streamed down her back, and she was panting hard. This is why she loved sparring with Ed—or even Al.  None of the other guards would fight her—or even offered her a challenge. But, Ed always fought her without holding back, because he respected how good she was. And neither of them were above playing dirty to try and win. Once, Ed had thrown sand in her eyes, and she fought the entire match relying on her hearing and sense of his qi. She, on the other hand, had loosened the joints in Ed’s automail, so that he had to fight balancing on one leg. They exchanged another series of blows, and, though they each landed a few hits, it was nothing serious. Lan Fan tried an elbow strike for Ed’s groin, but he blocked, and retaliated with a jab for her throat. She batted the jab aside, and tried a palm-heel strike for the nose, which Ed caught. She recognised the hold at the same moment Ed did. She threw herself backwards and sent him flying—though, to her disappointment, he still was inside the circle.

He stood up and flashed her a grin. “You ready to give up?”

 

“Never.” Ed ran forward, feinted a blow for her groin, and then did a round kick towards her face, just as Lan Fan brought up her hand to block.

 

“EDWARD ELRIC! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY AUTOMAIL!”

 

Ed’s eyes widened, and he spun around. Winry was standing at the edge of the sparing circle, her arms folded, and a wrench in one hand. Ed gulped.

 

“Well?”

 

“Erm, Winry we were just, erm, sparring?”

 

“Sparring? _Sparring?!_ Edward Elric, I know you haven’t been maintaining your automail, so why the hell are you putting it under strain ! You’re lucky you didn’t permanently damage it! And you!” Winry rounded on Lan Fan. “I can hear your automail squeaking from across the arena! Why haven’t you been taking care of it? Good grief, you’re as bad as he is!”

 

Lan Fan winced and glanced down at her arm. It was true—she’d been neglecting to do the basic maintenance on her automail, such as sharpening the blade, tightening all the nuts and bolts or even oiling the joints.

 

_Remember, Lan Fan, a good warrior never neglects her weapons._

 

Grandfather would have been ashamed of her. Ignoring the harsh creaking of her automail joints, she brought both her palms together in front of her chest and bowed.

 

“Forgive me, Winry. It won’t happen again.”

 

“It better not! I’ll give you both a proper tune up, but if you don’t start taking care of your automail, I’ll—I”ll—”

 

“You’ll what, gearhead?” Ed asked.

 

“I’ll remove your leg, alchemy freak! Then you can hop around Ling’s palace for all I care!”

 

“You wouldn’t!”

 

“Try me.”

 

Lan Fan ducked her head to hide her smile. Marriage hadn’t changed the way those two bickered, but that was a clear indication of how much they really cared about each other. Lan Fan was glad they’d found happiness together.

 

Ed walked forward and wrapped his arms around Winry. “Look, I’m sorry for not taking care of my automail, okay?”

 

“Okay.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Now, go get cleaned up. You’re covered in sweat and sand.”

 

“Sure thing, Win.”

 

Lan Fan motioned for Ed to follow her, and the two of them waved at Winry as they disappeared back into the building, and towards the cloakrooms.

 

As they walked, Ed cleared his throat. “Are you worried about something?”

 

“What?”

 

“Al said you seemed worried when you two went on your run this morning.”

 

Running with Al had become part of her morning routine. When she first started training, back when she was just five years old, Grandfather had insisted that she do laps around the Yao complex each morning. He said it would improve her speed and stamina. She’d grown to love her runs in the morning—they helped her clear her mind. She’d felt a bit irritated, at first, when Al had asked to join her—until he’d explained that the feelings of his muscles aching, his lungs burning, and sweat dripping off his skin made him really appreciate having his body back.

 

How could she say no after that?

 

And, Al turned out to be a good companion on runs. He didn’t talk all the time, though they did have the occasional conversation. Mostly, he challenged her to run faster, to take the more difficult trails, or to go further than she had previously. It was a quality she appreciated.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“You’re worried about Ling not sleeping, right?”

 

“Who told you about that?”

 

“Greed.” Ed shrugged. “He wanted to know if any of us knew ways to help a person sleep. We suggested tea, exercise, herbs . . . even warm milk” Ed made a face, “but he said you two have tried all of that.”

 

Lan Fan narrowed her eyes. If the homunculus wasn’t careful the whole Court would know about the Young Lord’s nightmares. The last thing the Young Lord needed right now was the added worry of being the butt of the Xingese Court’s jokes. Didn’t the homunculus know how to be discrete?

 

“Hey, Lan Fan, can I ask you something?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Why don’t you like Greed?”

 

“What makes you think I don’t?”

 

“Please. Everytime all of us are together, you act completely cold and formal.”

 

“Is it that obvious?”

 

“Yep. And trust me, Ling’s noticed it too.”

 

Lan Fan winced. “It’s not that I don’t like him . . . I’m not sure what to think of him. When he stole the Young Lord’s body, it was easy to hate him, but then . . .”

 

 “Then he did his stupid heroic sacrifice and saved Ling’s ass and the whole of Amestris to boot?”

 

“Yes. I know the Young Lord trusts him, but what if he has his own agenda?”

 

“I’m not gonna lie, Greed has his own agenda, but it’s not anything bad. . . I think he just missed Ling. He was really messed up when we brought him back.”

 

Lan Fan tilted her head, and Ed continued. “He kept following us around, no matter where we went, and he kept talking, even when he ran out of things to say. It was like the silence was disturbing for him. And he’d make a comment to Ling, only to stop himself midway when he realised Ling wasn’t there.”

 

_It’s exactly what the Young Lord went through after the Promised Day._

 

Despite herself, she felt a twinge of pity for the homunculus.

 

“And, I know he _definitely_ won’t like us mentioning this, but he was really, really worried about Ling and, even you, when he came back. We almost had to lock him in the house so that he wouldn’t run off on the first train to Xing. And he hit the roof when he found out that there had been assassination attempts on Ling.” Ed sighed. “Look, I’m not saying you have to be best friends with the guy—hell, I want to throttle him myself half the time—but could you give him a chance?”

 

_Give him a chance?_

 

Lan Fan’s eyes widened.

_Is this the sign I asked Grandfather for?_

 

“I—I’ll think about it.”

 

Ed clapped her on the shoulder and grinned. They were getting nearer to the cloakrooms, when Lan Fan heard footsteps. She looked up. A group of four Palace Guards were headed towards them. A glance at their uniforms told her that they were from the group that guarded the outer walls of the Imperial Palace. As they approached, one of them said in Xingese “ _Looks like the Emperor’s whore is sharing her goods with the foreigner.”_

 

_“_ _Though, why the Emperor would soil himself by sleeping with a Yao Dog is beyond me.”_

 

_“Well, you know what they say about bitches in heat . . . “_

 

Lan Fan let the insults glide past her. She’d been hearing similar things since she was eleven years old. And, when the Young Lord had taken the throne, many had argued with him about her appointment as Imperial Guard. She’d challenged anyone who thought they could do better than her to fight her in single combat. She’d beaten every one.

 

“You motherfucking—“ Ed snarled, turning to chase after the guards.

 

Lan Fan started—she’d forgotten Ed was with her, and that he had a sh—quick—temper. She grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm into a lock, and then marched him down the corridor. She ignored his swearing and demands to be released. Only once they arrived at the cloakrooms, when she was sure the guards were far out of Ed’s reach, did she release his arm.

 

 

“What the hell, Lan Fan!” Ed demanded, rubbing his wrist. “You should have let me teach those assholes a lesson about respecting women.”

 

“I didn’t want you to get into trouble with Winry for fighting with the Palace Guards.”

 

“Didn’t you hear what those assholes called you? I may not know much Xingese, but they called you a—a”

 

“Whore? I’ve been called far worse things than that. As long as I remain the Emperor’s bodyguard, I don’t care what they call me.”

 

“And what does Ling think about it?”

 

She winced. “He doesn’t care either,” she said, a little too quickly.

 

“You mean, he doesn’t know.”

 

“The Emperor has better things to worry about than the reputation of his bodyguard. Besides, a few insults are hardly the worst thing to happen.”

 

“I don’t care. If I hear anyone making comments like that about you, I’m decking them in the face.”

 

“Ed!”

 

“What?” He turned slightly red. “You’re like family. I don’t let people talk shit about my family.”

 

She blinked. “You honour me with your regard,” she said, and bowed.

 

Ed grinned, and held out his fist. She hesitantly bumped her own against his.

 

“You’d better go shower, or Winry will be upset.”

 

“Yeah, she might actually remove my leg then.”

 

Lan Fan snorted, and waved at Ed as she slipped into the cloakroom. Ed’s words had touched something inside her—she’d never had the chance to have a sibling before, but now . . .

 

Well, maybe she did have, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, we have a little bit of Lan Fan and Ed bonding. I always thought that after the events of the Promised Day, the Elrics and the Xingese Crew would become very close, but no fics seem to explore this pseudo-sibling relationship. So, I thought I'd give it a go.
> 
> As always, let me know what you guys think.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's a short update. Hope you like it!

_The reek of smog in the air. Screams. So many screams. Blinding red light. The feeling of being impaled. And worse, the feeling of his soul being ripped in two._

 

“Your Majesty! Wake up!”

 

Ling thrashed in confusion, before he registered where he was. He was safe. In his bedchamber.  In the Imperial Palace. He realised he was panting hard. Lan Fan crouched beside his futon. From the faint gleam of moonlight, he could just make out the white pattern on her mask.

 

“I’m sorry, Lan Fan. I guess I woke you up again, huh?”

 

She shook her head. “No. I was on duty outside.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Ling looked away, and busied himself trying to light the oil lamp. His fingers were shaking so badly, he kept fumbling with the matches. Wordlessly, Lan Fan took the matches from his hands and lit the lamp, so that there was soon a warm light filling the room.

 

“Thanks. I guess . . . you have to get back to your post.”

 

He let out a long sigh, and then realised she was staring at him. As he looked at her, she tugged back her hood, and removed her mask, setting it down on his side-table. He blinked in shock.

 

Lan Fan hesitated. “If his Majesty wants . . . perhaps we could share  a cup of tea?”

 

 “You mean like we used to? We haven’t done that in ages! Sure thing! Do you have a teapot? Do you need anything else?” Ling realised he sounded far too eager, but he couldn’t help it.

 

She smiled. “I have everything in my room. As well as those small biscuits you like so much.”

 

Ling gave his stomach a rueful pat. “I am kind of hungry. Lan Fan, you’re the best!”

 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to bury his face in the pillows. Why did he have to sound like such an _idiot?_  He blamed the sleep deprivation—and the fact that Lan Fan looked so beautiful in the lamplight.

 

To his surprise, he saw the colour rise to her cheeks.

 

“Erm, I’ll go get the tea.”

 

She scrambled to her feet, executed a hasty bow, and the disappeared through the screen door. By the time he’d rolled out of his futon, she was already back in her chambers. Ling walked over to the small, wood-burning stove and began putting in kindling and some woodchips to get a fire going. He’d insisted that his chambers had a small stove—mainly because he knew that if he ever wanted a warm snack in the middle of the night, he could get it without having to wake the servants. The stove looked oddly rustic when compared to the ornately carved wooden daybeds, or chairs, or even the silk cushions spread around the low table, but he liked it. As soon as the fire started crackling cheerily, Ling went and grabbed two cushions, placing them in front of the stove. He then took one of the low tables and set it down near the cushions. Now, everything was ready.

 

He sensed a familiar qi nearby and looked up to see Lan Fan entering the room, a tray in her hands. On the tray was her well-used clay tea set, as well a small pot of honey and a plate of biscuits.

 

“I thought I’d make—“

 

“No! Don’t tell me! Remember that game we used to play when we were little? When you used to make me tea and I would try and guess what tea you made? Can we play that now?”

 

“I really don’t think you’ll guess this one . . .”

 

“Oi! Give me some credit here.”

 

“Okay.”

 

She set down the tray and sat on the one cushion, while Ling took the other one. Ling watched as she added russet herbs into the teapot. She then placed it into the flames with her automail hand. She leant back, and wrapped her arms around her knees. There was no sound besides the crackle of the flames, and the beginnings of boiling water. Ling couldn’t stand it.

 

“You know what this reminds me of?” he said suddenly. “When we were getting your automail repaired in Rush Valley. You made us endless cups of tea . . . I think we drove you mechanic mad with it. You told us it was Fu’s suggestion?”

 

“Yes. Grandfather thought that it would help me refine my control over the automail if I practiced the making of tea. Or maybe Grandfather just wanted an excuse to have tea.”

 

Ling chuckled. “That would be just like him.”

 

Lan Fan smiled, and poured a bit of honey into the two cups. The water was nearly boiled, so she lifted it out of the fire, and poured the tea into his cup, then into her own. Ling picked up the cup and stared intently at the red-gold liquid. The tea smelt strange—not unpleasant, just different.

 

“Hmm .  . . I know it’s not camomile, jasmine, cinnamon or ginseng . . . and it doesn’t smell like liquorice or ginger.” He took a cautious sip, and his eyes flew open. “I know what this is! It’s that strange tea that Ed bought you from the West. I know its name. Wait! Don’t tell me . . . _rooibos_! That’s what it is!”

 

“Well done. Do you like it?”

 

“Like it? I love it. But that’s not surprising. You make the best tea in Xing.”

 

There went his loose tongue again. And, once again, Lan Fan blushed. Ling took another sip of his tea, enjoying the taste of rooibos and honey. He’d have to get Ed to bring him more of the tea when he went to the West again. Or he’d have to start importing it to Xing.

 

“Hey,” he said after a while. “Do you remember our first tea ceremony?”

 

Lan Fan buried her face in her hands. “I spilt tea all over the Elders, and your cousin Kazu wouldn’t stop laughing until you accidentally spilt your tea on him.”

 

“His face was hilarious.” Ling drained his cup, and then set it down. “You know, we haven’t done this in ages.  . . it’s nice.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So, what prompted this?”

 

“What?”

 

“For the last few months, you’ve been so . . . distant. What changed?”

 

She sighed and set down her cup. She gave him a sharp look.

 

“I kept my distance because I thought I’d give the Pure Xingese less reason to assassinate you by doing so. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so, so sorry.”

 

“I know why you did it, I just. . .  I missed you.”

 

“I-I missed you too,” she mumbled and quickly looked away.

 

Impulsively, he reached out, and gave her hand a squeeze. “Thank you.”

 

“There’s nothing you need to thank me for.”

 

“Yes,” his eyes flickered to her automail arm. “Yes, there is.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lan Fan has decided to return to being Ling's friend. We're all happy about that, I think. :) And we get a hint about what Ling's nightmares are about--if anyone wants to guess, you're welcome to. 
> 
> Also, rooibos is a tea I'm really fond of. It's also know as African Red Tea, and it's great with honey, and a little milk. :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, today I was feeling very depressed, and when I feel like this I write to make myself feel better. Thus, I managed to finish this chapter, and decided to upload it for your enjoyment.

Greed leant back on the daybed and fixed Ling with a look. The kid was sitting, cross-legged on the floor, and looking completely serene—or he would have, if he didn’t have an impish smile stretching across his face. In front of Greed was a large piece of paper, on which Greed was attempting to write.

 

“You’ve done it wrong. Again.”

 

“Yeah, well, Xingese is hard, damnit. And wipe that smug smile off your face.”

 

Ling’s smile—if anything—got wider. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Yeah, you do, you little pest. Ever since you kissed and made up with Lan Fan, you haven’t been able to stop smiling.”

 

“We didn’t kiss, damnit! We just . . . went back to the way we always were.”

 

Greed groaned and buried his face in his hands. “For fuck’s sake, don’t tell me you’ve got back to that angsty forbidden-love crap!”

 

“I—we—can we just focus on your pathetic Xingese?” Ling snapped.

 

Greed sat up and glared at him. He picked up the stylus and once more tried to write some basic kanji. Ling was shaking his head before he even got half-way.

 

“I still don’t understand how you’re fluent orally, and yet can’t write a word of Xingese,” he said as he corrected one of the kanji.

 

“I told you, I picked up Xingese while you were floating about in the back of my head.”

 

“You mean when you were floating around in _my_ head. It was my body after all.”

 

“Yeah, but you gave it to me.”

 

“It still doesn’t mean that I was floating around in your head.”

 

“Yes, it does, since I was the one in charge.”

 

Ling opened his mouth to argue, when suddenly there was a rapping on the screen door.

 

“Enter,” Ling said, his voice taking on an imperious, commanding tone.

 

The screen slid open, and Greed looked up as Lan Fan walked into the room. She was wearing her full uniform, but her mask wasn’t in place. She was carrying a large wooden box under her arm.

 

“What is it, Lan Fan? I thought you were busy training.”

 

“I finished training early. I thought that perhaps . . . perhaps you two would like to play a game of Pai Sho with me?”

 

“What the hell’s Pai Sho?”

 

“It’s an ancient Xingese board game.  It’s supposedly good at developing the skills of strategical thinking.”

 

“Can you gamble with it?”

 

“You’re not really supposed to . . .”

 

“Yeah, but can you?”

 

Ling sighed.  “Yes. You can.”

 

“Great! Set up the board, Toots, and we can get started.”

 

Ling looked from Greed to Lan Fan and then smiled. Immediately, Greed raised his eyebrows. Whenever Ling smiled that _particular_ smile, it meant he was up to something.

 

Sure enough, Ling got to his feet. “Why don’t you show Greed how to play, Lan Fan?”

 

“Your Majesty, I—”

 

“Come on, we both know you’re a better player than I am. Anyway, Al and Ed have been badgering me to show them the Imperial Library. You know if I don’t, Ed will just persuade Al to break into the library with alchemy. And they’d probably end up destroying half the library.”

 

Ling waved, and disappeared out the door. Greed settled back down onto the pillows, and gave Lan Fan a long look.

 

“Guess it’s just you and me now, Toots?”

 

For a moment, Greed thought she’d turn and leave the room. Instead, she took a deep breath, and came closer. She started setting up the game. Greed got off the daybed and took a seat opposite her. He looked at the board with mild interest. It was a simple diamond shape, half red, and half white. Lan Fan started taking out the tiles and placing half of them in front of him, and half in front of herself.

 

“The game is based on the ancient Xingese art of flower arranging. It’s been said that certain plants and certain flowers are in harmony with one another. Each tile represents a different flower, and arranging the tiles in a certain way will create a harmony between the tiles. The purpose of Pai Sho is to create harmonies between the tiles. The more harmonies you make, the more points you collect. If you create a grouping of tiles that are in disharmony, you will lose points. The player with the most points wins.”

 

“Seems simple enough, Toots.”

 

Lan Fan listed the different tile combinations, and made Greed repeat them a few times until she was satisfied he had the harmonies memorised. Then she started the game. For a while, they played in silence, with the tiles sliding back and forth across the board between them.

 

“So, what prompted this, Toots?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Why’d you decide to play Pai Sho with me? Not that I blame you for being attracted to my sexy ass, but—”

 

“Don’t be vile,” she snapped.

 

But Greed could see she was blushing. Interesting . . .

 

“Let’s be honest here, Toots. The first time we met, you wanted to rip me apart, and since I came back, you haven’t exactly been welcoming.”

 

Not that Greed minded her wanting to tear him apart. Women who could hand his ass to him in a fight were freaking sexy! Still . . .

 

She sighed.  “You saved the Young Lord. He considers you a friend.”

 

“Doesn’t mean that you’re my friend, though.”

 

“There is a debt between us, Greed. Especially, since I’m responsible for your death, in a way.”

 

“I told you to forget about that, damnit.”

 

“I won’t. So,  I’ll give you a chance.”

 

She gave him _that look_. It was the _Edward Elric, I’m going to do this, so either help me or fuck off_ look. Greed moved one of his tiles, and swore as he realised he’d just given her the perfect opening to create a harmony. She deftly moved her tiles into place and searched for her next move. Greed looked at the tiles on the board.

 

“This is a pretty old set, Toots.”

 

“It was my Grandfather’s.”

 

“The old man’s? Did he teach you how to play?”

 

“He taught both me and the Emperor to play.  He said it would train our minds.”

 

“Huh. I gotta ask, Toots, cause it’s been bugging me, why’d he decide to train you to be Ling’s bodyguard anyway? I thought the Xingese were all: men in power over women?”

 

“Not necessarily. Children, boys and girls,  are supposed to obey their parents and their superiors. And inheritance is passed down through the eldest child, regardless of gender. But, you’re right. I wasn’t supposed to be the Emperor’s bodyguard. It was supposed to be my older brother.”

 

“What happened?”

 

She took a deep breath. “My parents and my brother were killed in a fire when I was a little over two years old.”

 

Greed blinked. She sounded so matter-of-fact. He rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Sorry about that, Toots.”

 

“Don’t be. I can barely remember them. Grandfather was the only family I had before he . . .”

 

Grief flashed across her face, and Greed wished he could bring Wrath back to kill the bastard himself.

 

“Anyway,” she continued, “Grandfather only had two choices: either he could entrust the Emperor’s safety to another family, or he could train me.”

 

“So, he chose to train you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see.” Greed wondered what the old man had been thinking. Hadn’t he realised that, sooner or later, puberty would come calling and complicate matters between his granddaughter and his Young Lord ? Or maybe that had been the plan? Greed knew the old man hadn’t been stupid. Could he possibly have been hoping that a teen romance would develop?

 

“Greed?”

 

“Sorry, Toots. I was far away.”

 

“I can see that. You really are giving me too many opportunities to get points.”

 

She frowned at the board, and fell silent. Greed tapped his fingers on the edge of the board.

 

“So, Toots, let’s hear them.”

 

“Hear what?”

 

“The stories. You and Ling grew up together, right? I betcha got lots of embarrassing stories to tell about the kid.”

 

“It’s not  . . . appropriate to speak about the Emperor like that.”

 

Greed snorted. “Don’t worry about it. Ling’s got a pretty good sense of humour. He won’t mind.”

 

“I’m sure you know all the stories. You did, erm  . . .”

 

“Share a body? Yeah, we did, but Ling was very evasive whenever I wanted to know personal stuff. He usually either tried to ply me for information, or pestered me to feed us.”

 

She snorted. “That sounds like him.”

 

“Yeah, his damn appetite got us into trouble most of the time. Hey, did he tell you about the incident with the apple pie?”

 

“No . . .”

 

“Oh hell, no. I have to tell you about that . . . and I got a few other embarrassing stories. Wanna trade?”

 

She smiled. “Sure.”

 

And so, Greed told her about the time that Ling had been pestering him for food while they were on the run from Father. And how they had come across the most mouth-watering smell from inside an old farmhouse. The smell had driven Ling to seize control of their shared body and break into the house to steal the pie. Unfortunately, the owner of the house had objected to their theft, and they’d ended up being shot in the ass several times. And, in return, she told him about the time Ling had tried to use some of the weapons in the armory and ended up destroying a priceless antique. And the time that Ling had accidently ditched his body guards, and ended up looking for food in a brothel. When Lan Fan and Fu had found him, he was red in the face and couldn’t wait to leave.

 

They continued playing and swapping stories until late into the night. And, as they played, Greed felt a familiar possessiveness stir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus, we have the beginings of Greed and Lan Fan's relationship. I hope this instance of them bonding lived up to everyone's expectations. 
> 
> Have a great day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope everyone likes this little chapter. And, I just wanted to give people a heads up that after Christmas I will be offline for a week or two, so no updates then, sadly. I hope that the chapter I put up before and after that make up for it. 
> 
> Also, I have something a little special I want to upload before Christmas. Fingers crossed I manage to get it done in time!

“Hey, Ling, thanks for letting us into the Imperial library,” Al said from behind his pile of papers.

 

The three of them were sitting at one of the tables in the Imperial Library, and speaking in lowered voices. The Imperial Library came with its own . . . presence. One that demanded that its rules be obeyed. Maybe, it was because Ling could almost feel the weight of knowledge in the Library—an idea that came about because of the hundreds of shelves full of both books and scrolls in every language imaginable, and on any topic one could think of. It was a nightmare building to navigate: It was thirteen stories tall, and had four levels of basements. The interior was lit by welcoming oil lamps, and there were plenty of comfortable chairs for reading in, as well as desks which could be used for the more serious researchers. Researchers like Ed and Al—although, Ed had confessed privately to Ling that it had taken him months before he’d worked up the courage to look at alchemy after he’d sacrificed his door. He’d been terrified that the Truth hadn’t just taken his alchemy, but also his ability to understand and research alchemy. Thankfully for the world—though Ling would rather die than admit it to Ed—Truth had just taken his ability to _perform_ alchemy.

 

“Yeah, thanks! Al and I found some incredible stuff that may help us to refine the new theory we’ve been working on about Chimera transmutation reversals.”

 

“Although, we’d have to cross reference it with the notes we found from that weird gold-toothed doctor.”

 

“As well as Daphne Proteus’ work on the alteration of the human body, and—”

 

Ling held up his hands. “All right. No need to list all the alchemists you intend to research! I’m happy to help. Especially if it means that Jerso and Zampano can get their bodies back.”

 

Ling had grown fond of the two Chimeras when he’d met them three years ago—when Al had first come to Xing to study alkahesty.  And, when Ling had realised that they were pining after their families, he’d sent their families Imperial invitations to Xing. Being Emperor had its advantages after all.

 

“How are they, anyway?” Ling asked.

 

“I spoke to them the other day when I was in the city,” Al said. “They’re doing great. Jerso’s daughter is doing pretty well at school, despite Xingese being her second language. Although,  Jerso is pulling his hair out with amount of attention she’s getting from the boys. Zampano’s grandson is learning to walk and he is so excited about it.”

 

“He’s almost as bad as Hughes,” Ed said, with a smile.

 

“Anyway,” Al continued, “they’ve been saying that, even if they don’t get their bodies back anytime soon, they’re quite happy to stay in Xing with their families.”

 

Ling smiled. “I’m glad, though I do hope that there is some stuff you can use in here. Most of it might be useless since alchemy and alkahestry have such different applications.”

 

“Are you crazy? This stuff is amazing!”

 

Suddenly, Ling spotted a shadow moving towards him, and his stomach clenched.

 

“Will you two be fine here? I need to speak to Lan Fan.”

 

Ed looked up sharply. “Is this about . . .”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Brother, what’s going on?”

 

“I’ll tell you later, Al. Ling, don’t you _dare_ mention I told you, you little shit, or I’ll have to start sleeping with one eye open.”

 

“Oh, Lan Fan wouldn’t kill you. She might cut off your fingers but she won’t _kill_ you. She likes you.”

 

“That’s reassuring! I just got this arm back, and I’d like to keep it in one piece!”

 

“I’ll try to keep you out of it.”

 

Ling waved away the other guards that were trying—and failing—to look inconspicuous as Lan Fan approached.

 

She bowed. “Your Majesty wanted to see me?”

 

“Yes, I wanted to speak with you, but not here.”

 

He gestured for her to follow him, and the two moved through the silent maze of shelves to one of the rooms that was reserved for the Emperor’s personal use. He went inside, and opened the window slightly, even as Lan Fan did her customary security checks. He waited until she was satisfied that there were no assassins lurking under the table, or desk, or hiding in the shadows in the corners of the room. She also was careful to check the ceiling for anything odd. Fu had drilled it into both of them to always check for attacks from above—it was always a vulnerable spot. Once Lan Fan stood at attention, Ling moved over and slid the screen door closed. Then, he locked it for good measure.

 

“Lan Fan, I wanted to speak to you, but I wanted to speak to you as a friend.  W-will you remove your mask?”

 

She blinked. She reached up and carefully undid the silk ties, before placing the mask down on the table.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

 

Ling took a deep breath and steepled his fingers in front of him.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me that the other guards were insulting you?”

 

“I don’t know what—”

 

“They called you a whore!”

 

“Who told you about that?”

 

“It doesn’t matter who—”

 

“Ed!” she snarled.

 

“Okay, fine. Ed told me about it, but, damnit, Lan Fan, he shouldn’t have to! I should have already known. You should have told me! Why—why didn’t you tell me?”

 

She looked away. “An Emperor should not have to concern himself with the well-being of a bodyguard.”

 

“Friends should worry about each other!”

 

“But , you’re the Emperor . . .”

 

Yes, he was the goddamn Emperor—and he’d never hated that fact more! Ling’s stomach lurched. The world started spinning. Without thinking, he reached for her.

 

“Don’t do this again.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“This. Put this –this _bullshit_ about roles between us. I _need_ you, Lan Fan. I have other guards, but there’s only one of you. Do you think I can do this, be this” He gestured at his robes, “without you? I can’t do this alone . . .”

 

Her eyes widened. She crossed the room, and—hesitating only slightly—she wrapped her arms around him.  He started at the sudden contact.

 

“I’ll never leave you. Ever.”

 

Ling’s hands came up and pulled her closer. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. He could smell her—orchids and something else that was exquisitely _her_ . . .

 

He didn’t know how it happened. Did he turn his head, or did she? But, suddenly, his lips were pressed against hers and he was enjoying the sweetness of her mouth. Her lips parted and Ling took the invitation to explore. Her hands fisted in his robes, and he almost lost his balance as she yanked him closer. How long it lasted, Ling wasn’t sure—a moment or an eternity of bliss were both equally plausible—but they eventually broke apart, gasping. Lan Fan was very red in the face. Ling swallowed.

 

“Erm, yeah. Right. Er . . . what-what were we saying?”

 

“You were saying that friends should tell each other about their problems?”

 

“Yes. Erm, Lan Fan, if we are going to stay  . . . friends,” oh, _friends_ was definitely the wrong word for what he wanted to be with Lan Fan, “then, we need to talk to each other. To tell each other about what’s bothering us. Lan Fan, please promise me at when something’s bothering you, you’ll tell me.”

 

“I promise.”

 

Ling raised an eyebrow. “I want your word, Lan Fan.”

 

She flinched. After a long moment, she said, “You have my word.”

 

“Great!”

 

“But, your Majesty must also give your word that if anything is bothering you, you will tell me.”

 

Ling’s mouth worked for a second, and then he grinned at her. “Of course!”

 

“What are your nightmares about, Your Majesty?”

_Blood. Screaming. The awful feeling of his soul being torn apart. The smell of smoke and death in the air._

 

Ling looked away. “I—I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

He held up his hand before she could argue with him. “I know I gave my word, so . . . I have nightmares about the Promised Day.”

 

“The Promised Day?”

 

“Yes .”

 

“I see.” She gave him a look. “You’ll have to tell me _exactly_ what the nightmares are about if you want me to help you, Your Majesty.

 

“I know. Just, not now.”

 

Lan Fan nodded, but there was disagreement in her eyes. She went over to the table and picked up her mask.

 

“Does Your Majesty need anything else?”

 

“There’s just one thing I want to clarify. Do you remember when we were small, and I accidently spilt my tea on my cousin, Kazu, when he was  laughing at you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It wasn’t exactly an accident.”

 

The corner of her mouth quirked. “I see.”

 

She fastened her mask, and bowed to him, before exiting the room. However, the look she gave him before she left made his heart sing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, although Lavender44 wasn't entirely right about the confession, her guess that the first majorly romantic moment would happen between Ling and Lan Fan was spot on :) I hope that the kissing scene came across okay?
> 
> Also, the Chimeras. It bugged me to no end that we weren't told if they reconciled with their families--and I thought it was so cruel that their families weren't told they were alive. So, in my fic, their family's get told, and move to Xing so that they are closer to an alkahestrial power that may help them get their bodies back.
> 
> If anyone has any comments or thoughts, let me know.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after that little Lingfan romantic moment, we have more Greed and Lan Fan bonding. Enjoy!

Lan Fan blamed the Young Lord for her failure to attend to her duties. After—after she’d—after _that_ had happened, she hadn’t been able to sleep. At all. Her mind kept replaying the moment over and over, followed by her worries. She remembered the way her lips felt like they were glowing when they’d touched the Young Lord’s. The way her body tingled when they’d touched. And the way it made her feel like she was flying. But she wasn’t supposed to kiss the Young Lord! He was the Emperor! She knew she was in love with him—but she wasn’t supposed to be. She was supposed to be his bodyguard. Nothing more. A commoner like her couldn’t be anything more. It would be much, much easier if the Young Lord would let her remain in that role . . .

 

Except . . . he said he needed her to be his friend, not his guard. And maybe . . .

 

She cut herself off before she could speculate further. She pounded her pillow into submission and tried to sleep. She couldn’t allow herself to hope. She could handle fear, but hope . . . hope would kill her.

 

 

It was the hot, seething mass of qi energy pressing against her senses that jolted her awake. She groaned and pressed a hand to her face,  as she tried to decipher the strange feeling. It was coming from the rooms adjacent to hers.

 

_The Young Lord!_

 

She leapt out of her bed, and sped for the adjoining door. She almost barrelled through, when she recognised the familiar voices in the room. She stopped herself, and croushed down by the screen door, listening intently.

 

“Sorry for waking you up again.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I can catch up on my sleep if Al and Ed decide to try and make me visit another library,” Greed’s deep baritone could clearly be heard from inside the Young Lord’s room. It sounded like they were sitting in the parlour.

 

The Young Lord snorted. “Their visits to the library are the reason your obnoxious ass is sitting on my cushions.”

 

“I know that. Doesn’t mean I have to get dragged out the palace every time they want to go to the libraries in the city. Though . . . it was really entertaining the time I ditched them in the library, and spent the day with Winry and Mei. Their faces when I turned up at the library, one arm around Winry and the other around Mei . . . priceless.”

 

“I can imagine. Ed always blows his top whenever I flirt with Winry. He really can’t take a joke.”

 

“That’s true!”

 

“So, where’d you three go in the city?” Ling asked, after a moment.

 

“A couple of places. A blacksmith and a tool shop because Winry wanted some parts. I checked out the weapons there—damn, there were some badass swords on sale! And Mei took us to this tea shop called, erm . . . Peppermint Tortoise?”

 

“I think you mean “Jasmine Dragon”.”

 

Then, came the sound of Greed slapping his thigh. “That was it! The Jasmine Dragon. You know the place?”

 

“Of course I do. It’s run by the Uncle of the Long Clan Representative, Zuko. Iroh—that’s Zuko’s Uncle—was supposed to be the Long Clan’s Representative, but he chose to run a tea-shop instead.”

 

“Anyway, I don’t really like tea, but this stuff was fucking delicious.”

 

“You should try the teas that Lan Fan makes.”

 

There was a pause. “Do you think Lan Fan is okay?”

 

“I’m sure Toots is fine. She’s probably just sleeping. She looks pretty run down.”

 

“I know. I’ve told her she doesn’t have to wake up just because I’m having nightmares, but she’s so damn stubborn!”

 

“Isn’t that the truth!”

 

“Anyway, sorry for—”

 

“If you apologise again, you little shit, I’ll punch you in the face.”

 

“Okay. Night, Greed.”

 

“Night, partner.”

 

Lan Fan moved away from the door, and back into her own bedchamber. She pulled on her full uniform, and picked up the remainder of her weapons. She then left her own rooms via the proper door, so that she could walk around to the front of the Young Lord’s rooms. The two guards lounging outside the Emperor’s door immediately stood up straight when she approached. She nodded to them, and took up a guard position in the shadows. It wasn’t very long before Greed slipped out of the room. The two guards flinched as he smirked at them. Lan Fan wondered what exactly the homunculus had done to them in order to get access to the Young Lord’s rooms.

 

She cut off her musings as Greed walked down the corridor. She  stepped out of the shadows and cleared her throat.

 

“Greed?”

 

“Gah! Toots, don’t do that! You’ll give me a heart attack.”

 

“You can’t get heart attacks.”

 

“Luckily. So what’s up? I thought you’d be sleeping.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and tilted his head at her.

 

“Thank you for seeing to the Emperor.”

 

She started to bow to him, and he scowled at her.

 

“Oi, Toots. I thought I told you to cut it with that bowing crap? Anyway, I couldn’t sleep with that brat screaming his head off.” He started to walk down the corridor. “Hey, Toots, you coming?”

 

“Coming? Coming where?”

 

“To the kitchens.  I’m hungry and I don’t like eating alone.”

 

She almost said no, until the thought of a bored, tired Greed in the kitchen, unsupervised crossed her mind—she quickly hurried after him. He gave her a wide grin, and threw his arm over her shoulder. She felt her face heat, and she tried to throw him off, but he kept a tight grip. If she tried to break his grip,  she’d  make too much commotion. So, she let him leave his arm there—it was a strangely comforting weight—but she vowed that if he tried touching _anything_ else, she’d ram her kunai straight through his groin.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Lan Fan fell in love with the kitchens of the Imperial Palace the moment she set foot inside them.  They reminded her of the kitchens the she and the Young Lord used to sneak into when they were children, back at the Yao complex. The kitchen had stone walls, decorated with a number of utensils dangling from nails. Bunches of dried herbs hung from the ceiling. There were a number of wooden benches, and plenty of stools and chairs scattered about. The three fireplaces were still blazing, which kept the kitchen at a temperature that was almost uncomfortably warm. A single grill stood over the one fireplace, but the others both had huge pots still on them. Lan Fan could smell the delicious aroma of meat stew coming from the pots. As Greed inspected the kitchen, letting out the odd exclamation or approving whistle, Lan Fan removed her mask and scooped up two bowls.

 

“Oi, Toots, what are you doing?”

 

She gestured at the pot. “I’m getting us some stew.”

 

“Screw the stew. I want pancakes.”

 

“Pancakes?”

 

“Yep. Pancakes. You do know what those are, don’t you?”

 

“Of course I do. But, I don’t think we have any pancakes.”

 

“So what? I’ll make my own. I’ll even let you have a bit.”

 

“You cook?”

 

“Makes me a real catch, hey Toots?” He winked at her. “But seriously, there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Now, would you help me find the damn eggs?”

 

It turned out that pancakes only needed a few ingredients—eggs, milk, flour, baking powder and brandy. Once she helped him find all the ingredients, she sat down on one of the stools and watched him work. Greed sifted the dry ingredients together, and then added the milk, eggs and brandy. Though, not before winking at her, and taking a large gulp of brandy from the bottle.

 

“Are you trying to get us drunk?”

 

“Hell, no, Toots. A splash of brandy just kicks the taste up a notch.”

 

He whisked the mixture as he spoke. Greed moved with such practised ease—it was fascinating. Once he was satisfied with the mix, he set it down and used his claws to carve out a chunk of butter and toss it into the pan.

 

“Easier than getting a knife,” he said,  as he caught her questioning glance.

 

He poured a bit of batter into the pan, three perfectly round dollops, and the air was soon filled with a divine smell.

 

“Where did you learn to cook?”

 

He glanced at her. “How much did Ling tell you about the Devil’s Nest Gang?”

 

“Not much. He just said that they had been your soul’s family, and that you were grief stricken when they were killed by Wrath.”

 

“Yeah. That’s true. They were my friends. A misfit bunch of soldiers-turned-Chimeras that I broke outta that hellhole laboratory.”

 

“Why’d you break them out?”

 

“What?” Greed suddenly swore. Lan Fan immediately leapt to her feet, kunai in hand.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I burnt the pancakes. Don’t worry, the first batch always turns out crap anyway.”

 

He tossed them out and filled his pan with more mixture. He didn’t say anything as he finished the new batch and moved onto the next ones.

 

“Well?” she gently prompted.

 

“I wanted to get back at the alchemist who ran the place. The guy screwed me over during a business deal. But when I saw them . . . I could see they wanted _out._ And, who am I to get in the way of what someone wants  .  . .  as long as it doesn’t interfere with what I want.”

 

“And what do you want?”

 

“I want it all. Everything you could possibly imagine.” Greed caught sight of her face and burst into laughter. “Don’t look so horrified, Toots. I’m not about to kill Ling and steal his crown, or whatever is running through that pretty head of yours. I’m happy Ling got what he wanted, and I’m happy to mooch off his position. Besides, I’ve _seen_ the amount of paper work he has to do . . . fuck, I think I’d rather have another round with Pride than do that. So, would you relax already?”

 

She breathed a sigh of relief, and Greed set down a plate with an enormous stack of pancakes in front of her.  He grabbed one and immediately started smearing it with butter, sugar, honey, syrup—pretty much everything he could find. Lan Fan chose just to add a little bit of sugar and cinnamon to hers and took a bite. It was surprisingly good.

 

“I’m surprised that Ling didn’t tell you about the Devil’s Nest Gang,” he mumbled around a mouth full of pancake.

 

“He said it wasn’t really his place to tell me, but he didn’t want their memories to be forgotten, so that’s why he built those altars and wrote the book—”

 

“Book? What book?”

 

“He recorded everything he knew about them from your memories and whatever you told him.”

 

“He wrote a _book_ about my Gang?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Damn, he’s been busy these past five years. So, do you want to know where I learnt to make pancakes?”

 

She nodded.

 

He took a another bite of his pancake, and said around his mouthful of food “I learnt how to make pancakes when the Chimeras got sick.” He paused to swallow. “There was a bad bout of flu going around Dublith one winter, and everyone—and I mean everyone—got hit by it. Right in the middle of it, I got this terrible craving for pancakes. I was bugging all the Chimeras to make me some, when Martel lost her temper. She told me to stop being useless and make my own. I think she gave poor Bido a heart attack.” He chuckled. “Anyway, so I went out, found a cook book, and practiced until I could make the best damn pancakes in Amestris.”

 

“They are very good.”

 

He flashed her his razor grin, and the two of them chewed in silence.

 

Suddenly, Greed fixed her with a look. “You know, if the kid doesn’t start sleeping soon, I’m going to drug him so we can all get a good night’s sleep.”

 

“That’s treason.”

 

“I can’t commit treason. I’m not from Xing.”

 

Lan Fan opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it, and took another bite of a pancake.

 

“Come on, Toots, you can’t tell me you aren’t worried about Ling.”

 

“Of course I am! But, I don’t know what to do . . . maybe I could go talk to Mei or Al and see if they know any alkahestry that might help.”

 

“Right. We’ll do that tomorrow.”

 

Lan Fan hadn’t intended for Greed to come, but she supposed it couldn’t hurt.

 

“So, Toots,” Greed finished off his pancake and steepled his fingers, “has the kid told you what his nightmares are about?”

 

“Just that they’re about the Promised Day.”

 

“Oh, well that’s specific!” He started counting things off his fingers as he spoke.  “That means that they could be about Pride, Pride Eating Gluttony, the Mannequin Soldiers, Wrath, Wrath killing—just Wrath or my old man going bat-shit crazy.”

 

“He refused to tell me the details.”

 

“Stubborn kid.”

 

Greed gave her a look. “Toots, he’s gonna have to talk to either you or me about this, so let’s make a deal. Whoever he talks to, tells the other.”

 

“Deal.” And, since she knew it was the Amestrain custom, she held out her hand.

 

“Great!” He shook her hand enthusiastically, and then, instead of letting go, he gently ran his thumb along her skin. The touch sent tingles up her arm, and she awkwardly released his hand.  He reached for the last pancake, and she smacked his hand away.

 

“Don’t be greedy,” she said, fighting back a smile as she snatched the last pancake.

 

“ _Excuse me_ , how exactly do you expect—wait, Toots did you just make a _joke_?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Greed stared at her for a second, then he threw back his head and laughed. Lan Fan couldn’t stop herself joining in as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone liked this chapter.
> 
> And yes, I have a headcanon that Greed makes fantastic pancakes, but he only makes them for people he loves. (romantically or otherwise)
> 
> :) Have a great day!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, so since it's Christmas, and since I'm going away soon, I decided to give you guys a double update. Hope you all enjoy it, and Have a fantastic Christmas ,if you're celebrating today.

Greed couldn’t get the information out his head. Ling had written a book. Ling had written a book about his Chimeras. How long was it? Did Ling write about how he’d broken them out the labs? Or when he’d installed heating into the Devil’s Nest because the reptilian Chimeras couldn’t cope with the lowered temperatures? Or when those damn fools had stayed to help him fight Wrath instead of doing the smart thing and running? Or when he’d—he cut himself off before he could pursue that line of thought any further. He forced himself to focus on the world around him. He still couldn’t believe that Ling had really become Emperor—not he thought Ling couldn’t do it, but damn, to be Emperor of a whole country at twenty one. Pretty impressive.

 

The Imperial Palace was pretty impressive too—even if the delicate painted pottery and the ornate statues weren’t exactly to his taste. As he glanced down the corridor, he noticed two servants giving him curious looks. He flashed a grin at them and they disappeared. None of the servants had warmed to him yet. Probably because of his “vile qi.” It didn’t bother him though. He had plenty of time to win them over. He wasn’t planning on leaving Xing for a long time.

 

“Greed?”

 

Greed half-turned and found Lan Fan at his elbow. She had her hood pulled up, her breast-plate in place and her mask over her face.

 

“Yes, Toots?”

 

“Al and Mei are waiting for us in the garden.”

 

“Lead the way, Toots.”

 

He fell into step beside her as he passed through yet another enormous screen door and out into the blinding sunshine. The smell of flowering jasmine hit his nose, and he shielded his eyes as he squinted at his surroundings. The garden was one of the larger ones, which had an ornate, wooden bridge spanning across the small river. There were a number of blooming trees providing the shade for several stone tables. Each table was carved with images of dragons, and had jewels set where their eyes should have been. Jasmines and bougainvilleas crept over the walls, and perfumed the garden. But, what really shocked him were the cats. There were cats _everywhere_ —on the tables, basking in the sun, climbing the trees, or even dipping their paws in the small river.  All kinds of cats too, from the massively white and fluffy, to ones that looked like leopards, to scrawny, pointy-eared felines with no fur.

 

He gaped at them. “What the hell is this, Toots?”

 

Lan Fan shrugged. “The Emperor gave Mei and Al permission to convert part of the Imperial Palace into a sanctuary for stray cats.”

 

“This isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a bloody zoo!”

 

“Still, Mei and Al enjoy spending time here. You see, they’re right over there.”

 

Sure enough, at one of the stone tables sat Mei and Al. Mei was wearing a pink tunic with long sleeves and white pants, while Al was wearing the traditional Xingese outfit. As usual, Xiao Mei was perched on Mei’s shoulder.  In front of them was a huge platter of food. There were small, triangular pastries, pieces of cooked chicken, round balls of meat, and a number of other dishes that Greed struggled to recognise. Lan Fan started walking towards Al and Mei, and Greed hurried to catch up. As he passed through the garden, the cats started hissing at him, and a few of them fluffed themselves up to nearly double their size. Greed tried to ignore them and concentrated on Mei and Al. Greed couldn’t help but notice though, that Mei was keeping a possessive grip on Al’s arm.

 

He almost felt bad for poor Al—the man was doomed and he didn’t even know it.

 

Greed didn’t say anything, though. He just sent a look over to Mei, who subtly shrugged and released her grip on Al.

 

Al waved to them. “Hey guys!”

 

“Hey Tinman, mind telling us what we’re doing in the middle of cat paradise?”

 

“You like it? Isn’t it nice?”

 

“It’s certainly _something_ , Tinman.”

 

Mei glared at him. “ _I_ think it’s wonderful. And I thought we could eat here. If your rancid qi doesn’t scare away all the cats.”

 

As she spoke she tore up a piece of chicken and fed it to the kitten by her feet.

 

“My qi is not rancid,” he muttered.

 

Lan Fan took a seat opposite to the couple, and Greed sat down next to her. The kitten by Mei’s feet hissed at him, but didn’t move away.

 

_Brave furball,_ Greed thought.

 

“Lan Fan, are you really going to keep your mask on during our lunch?” Mei asked, after glancing at her.

 

“It’s only proper, Mei.”

 

Mei’s nostrils flared. “I’m the Princess, and I get to decide what’s appropriate or not. And it’s not appropriate for friends to wear masks in front of each other.”

 

Lan Fan hesitated, and then tugged down her hood. She undid the ties to her mask, and placed it on the table. Mei’s eyes went wide.

 

“Lan Fan, what happened?! You look terrible!” Mei exclaimed.

 

It was true. There were dark circles around her eyes, and she was pale as the moon. She looked like she was going to pass out. Greed instinctively shifted closer to her.

 

“I’m fine. I just haven’t been sleeping well.”

 

Mei groaned. “Please, _please_ , tell me you haven’t been sitting up all night to try and help that idiot brother of mine?”

 

“Don’t speak ill of the Emperor.”

 

“If he’s going to act like an idiot, I’m going to call him one.”

 

Greed grinned. He liked this Princess—almost enough to add her to his list of possessions.

 

“She’s gotcha there, Toots.”

 

Lan Fan glared at him, and he winked at her. She rolled her eyes and looked away.

 

“Truth is,” Greed said, “we were wondering if you two know any alchemy, alkahestry, what-ever that could help Ling control his nightmares?”

 

Greed reached over and grabbed one of the triangular pastries. He popped it into his mouth. It was tasty—a perfect, crunchy exterior and a filling made of spinach and cheese. He grinned and grabbed a few more.

 

“Are they still out of control?” Al asked.

 

“Pretty much.“

 

Greed noticed that the kitten was stalking towards him. As he shifted his foot, the kitten pounced, biting down on Greed’s shoe.

 

“Oi, that’s pure leather!”

 

Greed reached down and yanked the kitten off his foot. He plonked it down next to him, and thrust a piece of chicken at it.

 

“Eat that, you little furrball, not my good shoes!”

 

The kitten gave him a suspicious glance, before plucking the chicken out of his fingers and dashing away. He watched it go before he realised everyone was staring at him.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing . . . nothing.”

 

“Right, so, any chance that alkahestry can help?”

 

“Well,” Mei said, as she nibbled on a pastry, “there are parts of alkahestry that can help control nightmares—the branches that can aid in psychological or emotional healing. The problem is that if I create a transmutation circle that prevents Ling from having nightmares, as soon as I deactivate the circle, the nightmares will start again—and probably  would become even worse.”

 

“Great. So, our only option is to drug the kid.”

 

“We agreed that we aren’t going to drug the Emperor!” Lan Fan glared at him.

 

“You agreed. I just pretended to listen.”

 

“Have you tried any other methods to help Ling sleep?” Al asked.

 

“We’ve tried everything: herbal teas, milk, exercise . . . none of them had any effect,” Lan Fan said.  

 

Mei frowned. “If we knew what he was dreaming about, this would be a lot easier.”

 

“Yeah, well, the brat’s being stubborn as always. He won’t tell us, ” Greed said.

 

Al looked thoughtful. “You know, when I got my body back, I used to have really bad nightmares. Probably because I hadn’t slept in four years.”

 

“What were they about, Alphonse?”

 

“Various things, you know. The Truth, The Promised Day, the time Pride possessed my armour, the time the Gang and I broke out of the labs, Nina—”

 

“What Gang?” Mei asked.

 

Al’s eyes widened, and he gave a nervous laugh. “Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Greed frowned at the obvious lie, but Al continued speaking before Greed could call him out on it.

 

“The only thing that really helped was having Ed in the room with me.”

 

Greed threw back his head and laughed. “So, you’re saying we must get Ed to sleep with Ling and his nightmares will be gone?”

 

“No! I—”

 

“They’ll be gone until the new one’s start,” Mei said, and giggled.

 

“That’s not—“

 

“Sharing a bed with Edward Elric. The idea even makes _my_ skin crawl,” Greed said.

 

“I never meant that!”

 

Al was turning redder and redder, as Mei and Greed laughed. Greed saw that even Lan Fan was struggling to maintain her composure, in the face of Al’s spluttered denials.

 

Eventually, Greed wiped his eyes and said. “So, you guys really can’t do anything?”

 

Al and Mei shook their heads. Even Xiao Mei mimicked the gesture.

 

“Sorry, but I’d only try to use alkahestry if there was no other option,” Mei said.

 

“Thank you for the advice anyway,” Lan Fan said as she stood up to leave.

 

Greed was about to follow her, when Mei grabbed his hand.

 

“May I speak with you, Greed?”

 

“Sure thing, Half-pint.”

 

Mei tugged him along,  away from the others. Their rapid progress through the garden startled several cats, as well as a bunch of sleepy kittens.  Once she’d pulled him past several blossoming trees, she turned and regarded him with folded arms.

 

“What are you playing at, Greed?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Half-pint.”

 

“With Ling and Lan Fan.  I’ve seen the way you look at them. The way you act around them. Are you just toying with them? Because if you are, I swear I will transmute into a rock!”

 

“Woah, calm down there. I really have no idea what you’re talking about . . .”

 

She raised her eyebrows. “You don’t?”

 

“Nope. Not a clue. ”

 

Slowly, a smile spread across her face, and she gave a sharp giggle. “Oh, this is going to be _fun_. . .”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“You’ll see, Greed. You’ll see.”

 


	13. Chapter 13

It took Greed nearly a whole day to locate Ling—and he was entirely convinced that Ling’s advisor—Wei? Wu? Whatever-his-scrawny-ass-was-called—was trying to keep him away from Ling. First, the bastard told Greed that Ling was meeting with some of the Clan Representatives in one of his Council rooms. Greed had immediately gone there to check, but quickly realised that there was no meeting going on. The bastard then told Greed that Ling was training in the arena on the far side of the Imperial Palace. Greed went there—and saw that Ling wasn’t training. So, he went back to Wu for a third time, and was told that Ling was in the Imperial Library, doing research on the new draft laws. Greed went there and—after hours of searching—concluded that Ling wasn’t in the Imperial Library.

 

Instead of going back to the bastard to ask again, Greed headed straight for Ling’s chambers. It didn’t take him long to pick the lock and enter the rooms. He whistled at the silk-wall hangings, and at some of the antique weaponry displayed on the walls of the parlour. He walked through the parlour and into Ling’s bedroom. He nodded approvingly at the feather-stuffed pillows, and silk wall-hangings. The futon, though low on the ground, was enormous—and comfortable as hell, Greed decided as he flopped down onto it.  His gaze flicked around the room, taking in the wooden desk—and the medical kit stored beneath it.

 

_Why would Ling need a medical kit in here?_ He wondered as he climbed off the futon. As he got closer, he caught sight of something on the desk. It was a report, that much he could tell from the Xingese scrawled all over it. But, more importantly, there were figures—clearly profit and losses. Greed’s smile widened as he bent over the accounts. Without really thinking about it, he sat down at the desk, and started to work.

 

***

 

“Greed?! What are you doing in my bedchamber?”

 

Greed jumped and looked up. Ling was standing in the doorway, frowning at him. Lan Fan stood beside him. Greed set down his stylus, and swivelled so that he was straddling the chair and facing the two of them.

 

“I’ve been looking for you the whole damn day, and I figured that you’d have to come back here eventually—even though you aren’t sleeping much.”

 

“The whole day? Why?”

 

“Because your stupid adviser kept sending me on wild-fucking-goosechases whenever I asked him where you were.”

 

“Ah.” Ling pressed his lips together. “It looks like he’s doing it again.”

 

“It seems so,” Lan Fan said.

 

Ling headed over to his desk, and then stared at Greed’s handiwork.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“Oh, I just figured out that one of your silk merchants has been scamming you. And, so have some of your arms dealers. You might want to have them arrested—I’m pretty sure that swindling the Emperor is a crime.”

 

“But, how do you know that?”

 

“About the crime?”

 

“No, dumbass, about the swindling!”

 

Greed pointed to himself. “I’m Greed the Avaricious, kid. If there’s one thing I know, it’s money.”

 

Ling looked between Greed and the accounts in awe.

 

“I think I’m going to have to give you a job in the Treasury.”

 

“A _job?_ No thanks!”

 

“Come on—you’ll be able to make a shitload of money if you work for me.”

 

“Let’s get one thing straight—I don’t work for you. _You_ work for _me._ ”

 

Ling rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You want to help out in the Treasury, or not?”

 

“I guess I can help out. I might save your ass from bankruptcy.”  Greed chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be a pathetic end to your rule? Tossed out because you went broke.”

 

Lan Fan snorted, and Greed gave her a razor grin.

 

“Ha Ha. Very funny.” Ling sighed, pushed aside Greed’s work and grabbed a blank piece of paper and a stylus. After giving Greed an apologetic look, he quickly scribbled something in Xingese, signed it, and then dripped a bit of wax onto the document. He stamped the wax with the face of one of his rings—the Imperial seal, Greed realised. Ling handed over the document to Lan Fan.

 

“Will you go give this to Wu, please? And tell him that if he needs an Imperial decree every time one of my friends asks where I am, I might start questioning his suitability for his post.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty” Was Greed imagining it, or was there a hint of amusement in her eyes?

 

She bowed, and then vanished out the door.

 

“Sorry about that, Greed. Wu’s got an irritating habit of sending my foreign friends on wild errands. He did the same to Ed and Al, until Ed threatened him with defenestration.”

 

“What the fuck is that?”

 

“It’s the time honoured political solution of throwing people out of windows.”

 

Greed snorted. “I like that.”

 

“I know. So, why were you looking for me?”

 

“Lan Fan said you wrote a book . . . about the Chimeras.” Why the hell was it so hard to say those words?

 

Understanding flashed in Ling’s eyes. “I did. I thought—I thought that they needed to be remembered. I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“Nah, I don’t mind, but, can I read it?”

 

“Sure thing. I keep it with all my other important things.”

 

Ling opened one of the cabinets. He motioned for Greed to come over, and Greed peered over his shoulder. Ling ran his fingers along the bottom shelf, and triggered a switch which opened a hidden compartment.

 

“Neat trick, kid.”

 

“Most nobles in Xing learn to hide their most prized possessions at an early age.”

 

Greed eyebrows rose as he looked inside the cabinet. Those were Ling’s prized possessions? A bunch of bloodstained clothes, an set of old fishing hooks, a woman’s hair clasp and a shelf of papers.

 

“The clothes are the one we wore on the Promised Day. The fishing gear belonged to Fu, and the hair clasp is Lan Fan’s.”

 

It should have been disturbing that Ling knew him well enough to see when he needed explanations. Instead, something warm flared in Greed’s chest.

 

“Ah.”

 

Ling reached in and grabbed the sheaf of papers. He stood up, and held them out to Greed.

 

“Here you go.”

 

Greed took the book from Ling’s hands, and as he touched Ling’s fingers, a bolt of heat shot up Greed’s arm, and straight to the pit of his stomach. Ling’s breathing hitched, and the kid’s eyes locked on Greed. Greed read something in Ling’s expression. Something that made him want to close the gap between them. Something that made him wonder what Ling’s mouth tasted like.

 

Before Greed could act, Ling released the book and cleared his throat.

 

“Erm, well, there’s the book. Let me know if you have trouble with it.”

 

“Why would I have trouble with it? I can read, you know.”

 

“You can read?”

 

“Shut up, you little pissant.”

 

“Greed, the book is written in Xingese—“

 

“Why the hell did you write it in Xingese?” Greed demanded.

 

Sure enough, when he looked down at the papers, he could clearly see Xingese kanji in Ling’s confident handwriting on the pages.

 

“Maybe because it’s my mother tongue?”

 

“How the hell am I supposed to read it now?”

 

Ling sighed. “I wrote the book in a way that the front half is entirely Xingese, and the back is the Amestrian translation.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Ling went back to his desk. He took several sheets of paper, and a few thin brushes as well as a stylus, and ink, and arranged a space for Greed to work.

 

“If you think of anything you want to add in or change while reading, just make some notes. Maybe you can make second edition of the book?”

“Sounds good.”

 

“Who knows?” Ling’s eyes opened slightly, and Greed caught sight of a mischievous gleam. “It might just improve your piss-poor Xingese.”

 

Greed tried to cuff the brat, but he dodged the blow, and stuck his tongue out at the homunculus.

 

It was a declaration of war.

 

At least, that was what they tried to explain to an enraged Lan Fan, when she came back and caught them in the middle of a heated wrestling match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter for a while. Hope you guys liked it and thanks again for your patience.
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated.
> 
> Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, if you're celebrating, and a great New Year!
> 
> See you all in 2017


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm back. It was a really good break--I feel like I really needed it, and I hope you all had a fantastic New Years. So, here are the promised updates. Hope that they don't disappoint.

_Ling almost choked on the smog coating the air. It tasted of dust, bloodshed and gunpowder. There were huge piles of rubble all around him, and the ground beneath his feet was cracked and uneven. There were huge puddles of red, sticky liquid everywhere. It didn’t take him long to realise that it was blood. He could hear screams, and the sounds of fighting nearby. Grimly, Ling started forward, straining his senses. His qi sense was picking up two concentrations of energy—one was smaller, and seemed  familiar, but the other . . . the other seared Ling’s senses, and made his eyes water._

_He was so focused on the seething qis, that he tripped over the first body. He looked down, and felt his stomach twist. It was the blonde woman—Riza, that was her name. Her chest had been torn open, and her face was twisted into an expression of agony. Not too far from her was Roy Mustang. He was lying, face down, impaled by some huge metal pole. Ling backed away from the bodies. He continued walking towards the sounds of the battle. There were shards of metal scattered across the floor. But it wasn’t until he found the corpses of Ed and Mei, who were clinging to the metal fragments with bloody hands, that he realised the metal shards were all that remained of Al._

_He stumbled past a pile of rubble and froze. He’d found the battle. He recognised the fighters instantly. The one was muscular and blonde, with a towel wrapped around his hips._

 

Father

 

_The other was wearing a sleeveless, Nehru jacket, and had his dark hair pulled into a ponytail. His face—it was the same face Ling saw whenever he looked in the mirror. But, the man had red eyes, and an ouroboros tattooed on his left hand._

 

Greed.

 

_The homunculus was yelling as he attacked Father._

 

_“You killed them, you bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!”_

 

Who’d he kill?

 

_Ling didn’t wonder for long. His eyes slid to the floor and found the two bodies lying there. They wore identical uniforms: Black hoodies, leather breastplates, white sashes around the hips. But the one figure was grey haired, and moustached—and the other, the other had beautiful black hair that was matted with blood, and her bright eyes were dull._

_Ling swayed, and staggered forward. But, he couldn’t seem to close the distance between himself and the fighters. As he watched, Father batted aside Greed’s attack, and plunged his hand into Greed’s stomach. Blood spurted from the wound, and Greed howled. His cry was cut off by Father grabbing his throat._

 

_“Die, you disobedient child!”_

 

_Ling screamed as Father ripped Greed in two._

_Ling splashed forward. The stench of the sewers was almost overwhelming. He didn’t dare touch the filthy, slimy walls. The sewers were lit by faint darts of sunlight that pierced the manholes above him. He had to find the way out. Lan Fan was waiting for him. He had to—he saw the body. A young man with spiky hair had been torn in two. His katana was coated in blood, and lay just out of the man’s reach. Beside him was an older man with a set of vicious horns protruding from his forehead. The man’s chest had been sliced open, giving Ling a clear view of the man’s organs. Ling choked back bile, and staggered away._

 

_He could hear voices echoing around him. Familiar voices. Why were they so familiar? He was getting distracted. He needed to—he froze. There were two more bodies. The one was a woman, with a complex tattoo on her shoulder, and a short, blonde crew cut. Her face was twisted with grief. The other corpse was wearing dirty, grey robes. The man had a long nose, slender fingers, and a lizard’s tail. He knew that man . . ._

 

_Ling suddenly sprinted down the corridor, following the sounds of the voices. They were getting louder. He could hear the scrape of metal against stone, and cries of pain. He turned the corridor and cried out. Greed was there—in his original body. He was badly wounded. The bricks around him were soaked in his blood. Wrath had impaled him with three of his swords—pinning Greed in place. As Ling watched, he started hacking off Greed’s limbs, and the faintest smile glanced across Wrath’s face as Greed screamed._

_Red. Red screaming faces swirled around him. Ling knew this place—it was the mindscape he resided in whenever Greed had control of his body. Which meant . . . there it was. Greed’s soul—a giant, disembodied face with fangs and gleaming white eyes._

 

_“Greed, what’s—“_

 

_They both screamed as pain punctured their body. Ling got a glimpse of what was happening—Father had driven his fist straight into their body. Then, it came—the god-awful sucking sensation._

 

_“Damnit, no!” Greed yelled, as he was being drained out of Ling._

 

_Ling reacted without thinking. He latched onto Greed, and hauled him away from Father with all the strength he had. “Fight it, Greed!”_

 

_“Let go, dumbass. You’re going to get dragged in with me.”_

 

_“_ _No way! I’m not letting you go that easily. I need you with me if I’m gonna be Emperor.”_

 

_“Just let go!” Greed shouted, as they both were dragged towards Father. ”My entire being was extracted from his greed and the power that’s trying to reclaim me is a helluva lot stronger than your body.”_

 

_Then, Ling felt it—a ripping sensation as his soul was torn apart. He staggered backwards, and stared in horror as Father crushed Greed’s soul._

“No!”

 

He bolted upright, striking out blindly. Greed! Where was Greed? The sudden darkness confused him as he thrashed beneath his blankets.

 

Wait—blankets? He blinked carefully, as he took in the details of his bedchambers. He was safe. In the Imperial Palace. It wasn’t the Promised Day. Greed wasn’t dead anymore.

 

"It was just a dream,” he said to himself.

 

“A nightmare, Your Majesty,” Lan Fan stepped out of the shadows, and came to kneel beside his futon.

 

“Sorry. I woke you up again, didn’t I?”

 

“Yes, but, Your Majesty . . . you were calling out Greed’s name.”

 

Ling winced and drew his knees to his chest.

 

“Well, I guess you know what my nightmares are about. I keep reliving the moment when . . . when Father tore him out of me.” Ling realised his hands were shaking and he balled them into fists.  “You know what it’s like to—to watch a loved one die in front of you, but having Greed being torn from my soul was—it’s stupid, right? I mean, he’s alive now, so why am I having nightmares about it?”

 

He hit the pillow angrily .”It’s so _stupid._ ”

 

Lan Fan watched him with understanding eyes. Hesitantly, she took his hand and loosened his fist so that she could intertwine her fingers with his.

 

“I don’t think it’s stupid at all, Your Majesty.”

 

The corner of Ling’s mouth quirked. “Well, that makes one of us.”

 

She didn’t respond. The two of them sat together like that, until Ling glanced out the window and saw the faint morning light creep across the horizon.


	15. Chapter 15

Lan Fan rapped on the screen door. This had to be one of the stupidest ideas she’d had.

 

But, she couldn’t think of any other way to help the Young Lord.

 

She heard fumbling about on the other side of the screen. Suddenly, the door slid open and Lan Fan was confronted by the sight of a bare-chested Greed. She was incredibly grateful that she was wearing her mask, as it hid her rising blush. Greed raised his eyebrows and grinned his razor grin.

 

“Well well, Toots, this is a surprise. You feeling lonesome tonight, or is something wrong?”

 

“I found out what the Emperor's dreaming about.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“He keeps relieving the day you died.”

 

The colour drained from Greed’s face. “Fuck . I—just— _fuck_. So, what do we do?”

 

“I have an idea.” _A stupid idea._ “Al said that when he got his body back, he had bad nightmares and the only thing that comforted him was Ed’s presence, right?”

 

“Yeah, he mentioned that.”

 

“Maybe your presence will comfort the Emperor?”

 

Greed shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

 

“Good. I’ll give you a moment to get changed.”

 

Greed smirked at her. “Toots, there’s nothing wrong with the way I look. I _saw_ you checking me out earlier.”

 

She blinked. He saw her . . .

 

“Erm, we should,  erm, go.”

 

She turned on her heel, and marched down the corridor. She heard Greed chuckle behind her, and follow.

 

Soon, they arrived at the Young Lord’s chambers. She dismissed the two guards outside the rooms, and rapped on the screen door. The door slid open, and Lan Fan’s eyes widened at the sight of the Young Lord, clad in nothing but the Amestrian underwear called “boxers”. Her face heated beneath her mask again, as she drank in the sight of the Young Lord’s sculpted body. Her traitorous imagination suddenly started fantasising _exactly_ what it would be like to be held by those strong arms. Behind her, Greed gave a low, appreciative whistle, reminding her of his presence.

 

_Couldn’t one of them have worn a shirt?_

 

She stamped out her fantasies and took a deep breath. Then, another one.

 

“Hello, I didn’t expect to see you.  . . Either of you, ” the Young Lord said with a frown.

 

“May we come in, Your Majesty?”

 

“Of course.” The Young Lord stepped aside and let them in.

 

The parlour was lit by a few remaining oil lamps, which bathed everything in a pleasant, roange-tinted glow. The light gleamed off the polished furniture, and the ornate decorations. Lan Fan stood at attention by the low table, while Greed went over to one of the cushions and flopped down on top of it.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Greed jerked his thumb at her. “Toots here says that your nightmares are about the day I died.”

 

The Young Lord glared at her. “Lan Fan!”

 

“I’m sorry, but I think he could help. His presence might comfort you, and then you could get some sleep.”

 

“Hell, then we could _all_ get some sleep.”

 

“I told you I’ll be fine,” the Young Lord snapped.

 

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, you’re not fine. Please, let us help you.”

 

The Young Lord let out a frustrated sigh and sat on a cushion next to Greed.

 

“You two aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

 

“Not on your life, kid.”

 

“Wonderful.”

 

Greed suddenly gave the Young Lord a harsh look. “Ling, why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Because it’s stupid. You’re here! You’re alive.” The Young Lord looked away. “And, I thought you might laugh at me, or call me pathetic, or something.”

 

Greed opened his mouth, and Lan Fan readied herself to smack him all the way back to Amestris if he teased the Young Lord.

 

“You stupid pissant—you really think I’m going to tease you about mourning a friend?”

 

“ . . . yes?”

 

“You’re a dumbass.”

 

Lan Fan bit back her automatic rebuke, when she saw the Young Lord smile.

 

“So, you ready to try Toot’s idea and see if it works?”

 

“It can’t hurt.”

 

“Great.” Greed got to his feet and started walking towards the Young Lord’s bedchamber.

 

The Young Lord and her exchanged a confused glance, and chased after the homunculus. Greed was already laying on the Young Lord’s futon, with a wide grin on his face.

 

“Greed, what are you doing?”

 

“Getting ready for bed. What does it look like I’m doing?”

 

“You can’t take the Emperor’s bed!”

 

“Like hell am I sleeping on the floor—or on the day bed! And, besides, if I still had that body,” he pointed at the Young Lord, “this would be _my_ bed.”

 

Lan Fan started forward, intent on dragging Greed out of the bed, only to be stopped by the Young Lord’s outstretched arm. There was an odd expression on his face. He strode over to the futon, lifted up the blankets and climbed in beside Greed.

 

“Oi, kid, what the hell do you think you are doing?”

 

“This is _my_ bed. No way am I letting you steal it from me.”

 

“So, you expect _me_ to share?”

 

“You shared my body for over six months. I think you can manage to share a bed for an evening.”

 

Greed chuckled. “Fine, but you’d better not hog all the damn blankets.”

 

“Well, you’d better not snore.”

 

“I don’t snore.”

 

The Young Lord snorted, as Greed yanked the blankets over them both. Then, he saw Lan Fan was still standing there.

 

“Hey, Toots, you wanna hop in as well? There’s plenty of space.”

 

Lan Fan swallowed hard.

 

“I c-can’t. I have to be on guard duty tonight. Goodnight, Your Majesty. Greed.”

 

She bowed and left the room, trying not to think about Greed’s offer—or how it made her stomach tighten. Or how it would feel to have two sets of muscular arms wrapped around her. Or—

 

_Stop it! Just, stop,_ she thought fiercely, as she extinguished the lamps and made her way to her post.

 

She stood guard outside the Emperor’s chambers the entire night. She heard sleepy arguing over who had more blankets, as well as bickering over whose feet were cold, and over who snored worse. But there was not a single scream the entire night.


	16. Chapter 16

Lan Fan shook her head to clear it of the drowsiness. Since the success of her plan to stop the Young Lord’s nightmares, she’d been taking double—sometimes triple shifts—of guard duty. She couldn’t let anyone find out that Greed was sharing the Young Lord’s bed. It was too risky—the nobility already called Greed “foreign dog”. What would they say if they found out he was sleeping with the Emperor?  it was her duty to safeguard the Emperor’s reputation as well as his physical well-being. If rumours got out that the Emperor liked the company of a foreigner . . . it might just be the excuse assassins needed to try and eliminate the Emperor. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

 

She slept whenever the Young Lord was busy with Greed or the Elrics—she knew that they would protect the Young Lord if anything happened. She also began avoiding Mei and the others, just in case they noticed how exhausted she was. But, there was one time when she could calm her mind, and let go of her worries: her morning run.

 

Lan Fan took a deep breath, tasting the mountain chill and the scent of pine on her tongue.  The sky had barely begun to lighten, and she could still pick out a few stars if she looked hard enough. The forest around her was still sheathed in shadow—the way she liked it. Her waterskin was strapped to her hip, and she’d forgone her usual uniform in favour of dark trousers and a sleeveless tunic. Perfect. Usually, Al would join her, but he’d told her that he was having an early breakfast with Mei. Apparently, the Princess wanted to show him some new alkahestric procedure. Lan Fan pretended to buy his excuse—she didn’t really want company at the moment.

 

She started jogging gently down the dirt path, enjoying how the steady rhythm warmed and relaxed her muscles. The clean air hissed in and out of her lungs, wiping the worries over the Young Lord and Greed from her mind. It loosened the tangled knot of feelings in her soul. She barely noticed as her body settled into a faster pace, and she decided to leave the dirt path in favour of a greater challenge. She dove into the dense undergrowth, and pushed herself harder. It was far more difficult to run through the undergrowth, where ferns and shrubs could tear at her skin, and the uneven ground meant that one careless step could end up with a broken ankle—especially since she forced herself to run without making even the faintest whisper of noise. She ran on, leaping over small streams, and scrambling up the rock faces that would have forced ordinary people to use climbing gear.

 

Her heart pounded and she felt the faintest sheen of sweat on her skin. A glance at the sky showed that it had begun to blush, and soon, a bashful sun would raise its head over the mountain peaks.

 

_I should be heading back._

 

Instead, she froze. She could hear someone approaching—his footfalls were far heavier than hers had been. And there was a strange, seething mass of qi heading in her direction.

 

_Wait . . ._

 

Lan Fan wasn’t really surprised when Greed came barrelling out of the bushes beside her. As usual, his sharp grin stretched across his face. However, he’d forgone his usual leather outfit in favour of one more suitable to running. But, as she looked closer, she realised that he wasn’t wearing a shirt—he’d simply pulled his Ultimate Shield across his torso. It showed the perfect planes of his muscles rather well.

 

“Hey, Toots.”

 

“Greed, what are you doing here?”

 

“I heard you like to run in the early morning, Toots, so I thought I’d keep you company. Besides, I need to maintain my sexy good looks, after all.”

 

“You won’t be able to keep up with me.”

 

“Oh? You wanna bet on that, Toots?” He winked at her.

 

“I don’t gamble,” she said.  “But, let’s go.”

 

She dashed into the undergrowth, barely noticing as braches smacked her in the face. She could hear Greed swearing behind her. She pushed herself faster. The trunks of the trees blurred as she shot past. Her heart pounded, and she started panting. She was moving at a reckless pace over the steep, boulder-filled terrain. One wrong step, and she would be seeing an alkahestrist about broken bones.

 

She glanced over her shoulder, and saw Greed was right behind her. He was grinning—the same wild, half-mad grin that was on her face.

 

“You’re gonna have to do better than that, Toots.”

 

She didn’t answer. She focused on the terrain around her. She ran over a boulder,  leapt, grabbed a low branch and swung herself into the trees, all without loosing a fraction of her speed.

 

She ran through the branches as easily as she did on the ground. For a moment, she thought she’d lost Greed, but then came a burst of raucous laughter behind her. She looked back. Greed had managed to join her in the trees, and he was moving agilely through the branches.

 

She shouldn’t have been surprised, though. She’d seen him fight nimbly against both Pride and Father—but that had been when he still shared a body with the Young Lord. Seeing him move so agilely in his original body—it was strange. She forced herself to concentrate on the run, moving higher up, to the point where the branches creaked and bent under her weight.

 

“You’re not getting away that easy, Toots!”

 

He sounded like he was right behind her. She risked a glance over her shoulder. Then, Greed stepped on a branch. It creaked, snapped under his weight, and he let out a yell as he started to plummet.

 

Lan Fan reacted without thinking. She threw herself after Greed and clamped her automail hand around his wrist. They fell together, bouncing off of branches. Twigs and needles scratched at Lan Fan’s face. She hooked her flesh hand around a branch, and gritted her teeth as her automail arm suddenly took Greed’s full weight. She could hear her flesh tearing. Spots danced before her eyes. She released the branch with a grunt, and they fell the last few feet to the ground. She slammed into the floor. Her arm throbbed. The world went fuzzy, and there was darkness creeping along the edges of her vision. She heard someone yelling her name, as he turned her over. A face filled her vision. A man with spiky, black hair and wine-coloured eyes.

 

_Greed._

 

He looked worried—actually, panicked was more appropriate. Lan Fan gritted her teeth, and forced herself into full awareness.

 

“Lan Fan! Lan Fan, answer me! Are you okay? Say something, you moron!”

 

“I’m fine.” She forced herself into a sitting position. She could feel something warm running down the inside of her shirt. Something hot and sticky. Blood.  She almost groaned as she realised. Her automail—she must have damaged the port again. Before she could check the wound, Greed grabbed her and started shaking her.

 

“What the hell were you thinking, Toots?”

 

“You were falling.“

 

“You dumbass! I’m a homunculus! I can heal, you can’t! You should have let me fall, you moron. Now, you’ve injured yourself.”

 

For a moment, Lan Fan thought he was talking about her automail port. But, no, he was looking at something on her face. She reached up and felt along her forehead. Sure enough, when she pulled her hand away, there was blood on her fingertips. She carefully felt the wound again, and almost smiled.

 

“Don’t worry, Greed. It’s just a small scrape. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Fine, fine she says. The woman nearly cracks her head open, but she’s fine.” He threw up his hands in frustration.

 

Lan Fan glared at him. “It’s _fine_.  Scalp wounds always bleed a lot.”

 

“Let me see it.”

 

He moved closer to her and, with shocking tenderness, peeled the hair away from the wound, wincing as he did so. He was being so careful—like he was afraid she’d shatter. Why? Didn’t he realise that she’d had far, far worse wounds than this? He was treating her exactly the same as the Young Lord had when she cut off her arm.

 

“Shouldn’t we clean this, or bandage this or . . . something.”

 

“I have a water skin. We can wash it with that.”

 

She undid the water skin from her belt and handed it to him. He opened the clasp, and gently dribbled water on the wound, being careful to avoid her eyes. As he did, she was suddenly very aware of how close he was. Of how his breath brushed her cheeks. He closed the flask, but didn’t move away.

 

Instead, he closed the gap between them and kissed her.  His mouth teased hers open, her hands came up to grab the nape of his neck, and he pulled her closer. Heat rushed through her, leaving her feeling dizzy.  

 

It was the same thing she felt when the Young Lord kissed her.

 

She jerked away from him. Greed blinked in surprise, and then a lazy smirk stretched across his face. She raised trembling fingers to her lips.

 

“Seems like you really enjoyed that, hey Toots?”

 

She took a deep breath. “I—w-we need to go.”

 

Lan Fan turned away from him and struggled to her feet. The ground was undulating beneath her, but she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.

 

“Toots, you alright to walk home?” Greed asked, as he caught up to her.

 

“Yes, I’ll be fine.”

 

However, Greed gently gripped the elbow of her flesh arm to steady her. She was glad he didn’t touch her automail—it was sending stabbing pains through her body. She’d have to get it looked at . . . when both the Young Lord and Greed weren’t around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed these chapter. I wanted Ling's nightmares to go beyond simply Greed being ripped out of him--though he finds that to be the most traumatic--and to extend to other variations of Greed's death. I also liked the idea of Greed and Ling cuddling in order to stop Ling's nightmares, so in that went as well.
> 
> And as for the run and Lan Fan's injury--that'll be important later. But, not too much later. 
> 
> Also, what do you think of Greed and Lan Fan kissing? Was it too soon? Or, just right.
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. Since I'm starting work tomorrow, I regret that the gaps between updates will become larger. As a sort of apology, I am uploading the next two chapters for your enjoyment.

Greed stared at the screen door. Lan Fan was in the next room, he was certain. He wondered if her scalp wound was giving her pain—she’d been so pale when he’d guided her back to the Imperial Palace. But, she’d managed to wrangle a promise from him that he wouldn’t tell anyone. So, all he could do was hope that she was all right. Well, that and think about the kiss. The kiss that reverberated through his entire being and refused to leave his thoughts. He didn’t understand why kissing her was so _different_. He’d been kissed before, but he’d certainly never had felt like this. The only time he’d felt something similar was when Ling had handed him the book about his Chimeras. He wasn’t even sure what the feeling _was_.

 

Greed sighed, and looked away from the screen door. The night was warm enough for them to leave the balcony door slightly open. Moonlight spilt into the room, along with the scent of jasmine from the courtyard below. It was just enough light for Greed to make out the person sharing the bed with him. Ling’s hair was a mess, the dark strands falling over his face, and fluttering with each of the man’s breaths. The blankets were tangled around Ling’s legs, and offered Greed a perfect view of Ling’s sculpted chest. But, as his eyes travelled along Ling’s beautiful body, Greed caught sight of the scar on Ling’s arm. Greed reached out and gently traced the scar with his fingertip. There were other scars, too—ones that Greed had only discovered because Ling slept bare-chested. Seeing them made Greed want to punch a hole in the wall. Or, better still, a hole in the person who’d given Ling those scars.

 

Suddenly, Ling’s hand wrapped around Greed’s. Greed started. He’d thought Ling was still fast asleep. Greed looked at his face, but Ling was still staring at Greed’s hand.

 

“You know, I almost got an ouroboros tattooed on my left hand. In your honour.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, except, the ouroboros also reminds me of-of Wrath.”

 

“Ah. Well, don’t sweat it. Besides, it’s a bit stupid to honour a dead person with a tattoo if the person isn’t dead anymore.”

 

Ling snorted, but he didn’t let go of Greed’s hand.  His touch made Greed’s arm feel like it was glowing.

 

“I’m sorry,” Greed said, to distract himself from the desire working its way through his body.

 

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”

 

“This,” he tapped Ling’s arm. “If we’d still been sharing a body, this sort of thing wouldn’t be a problem.”

 

Ling stared at him. “Do you honestly believe that I wanted you here because I missed your _powers?_ ”

 

“ . . . Erm.”

 

"You’re an idiot.”

 

And then Ling’s lips were pressed against his. It was clumsy, and uncertain—but, god damnit it felt good. So good. So _different_.

 

_Just like kissing Lan Fan_

 

Greed kissed Ling back, trying to shut out his inner voice. He coaxed Ling backwards onto the pillows. Greed braced himself so that his weight didn’t crush the younger man. Ling’s hand came up to grab the back of Greed’s neck, and Greed deepened the kiss. Suddenly, Ling pushed him away, and stared at the screen door.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I thought I sensed—but it’s gone now.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Greed leant in for another kiss, only to be stopped by Ling’s palm on his chest. There was a pained expression on Ling’s face.

 

“Greed, I’m in love with Lan Fan.”

 

“Yeah, I know. So?”

 

“So, doesn’t that bother you?”

 

Greed laughed. “So, you’re a greedy bastard. You really think that’s going to put _me_ off?”

 

“I guess not. And, I know you don’t do the whole sappy confessions thing, but I . . . I love you.” Ling winced as the words slipped out.

 

Greed stared at him. Love? _Love?!_ Ling  . . . loved him?

 

“When did this happen?” Greed asked as he tried to process that Ling—that Ling _loved_ him.

 

“I’m not sure, but . . . I only realised when you wanted to share a bed with me. That’s why I said yes. I didn’t mean—I wasn’t going to say anything, but . . . I’m sorry.”

 

Greed knew desire. He was the living incarnation of want, damnit! And he’d desired and wanted for the whole of his existence. But, when Ling touched him . . . it was _different_. There was lust, certainly, but it was threaded into a thick tangle of respect, protectiveness, possessiveness, curiosity, and a dozen other emotions Greed couldn’t pick out. He’d only felt like this once before, when he was around Lan Fan.

 

Both times, the feeling was suspiciously similar to what Greed sensed Ling feeling for Lan Fan when they’d still shared a body.

 

Did that mean that he . . . oh, fuck. It did. That’s what the feeling was.

 

_Fuck._

 

And now Ling was watching him with an expression that was wary and pained, as though he expected Greed to say that he didn’t—fuck it!

 

“Yeah.” Greed rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I love you too. But don’t you dare make me say it again!”

 

Ling gaped at him. “Really? I thought you’d laugh . . .”

 

“Believe me, I don’t find anything about this funny.”

 

“So, you really . . . love me?”

 

Greed smirked. “Kid, I told you I wouldn’t lie to you, and I won’t. Oh, and I feel the same way about Lan Fan, too. Just letting you know.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t tell me that bothers you?”

 

“No.” Ling sounded surprised at his own conclusion. “No, it doesn’t. I wouldn’t have expected anything less. But, what are we going to do?”

 

Greed’s grin widened.

 

“I have a few ideas,” He said, and pressed a kiss to the pulse in Ling’s throat, allowing his teeth to scrape along Ling’s skin. Ling gasped, and his hands flew up to grab at Greed’s hair. It was all the encouragement Greed needed.  He planted kisses on Ling’s neck, collarbone, mouth, and jawline—any part of Ling he could reach. Ling’s breathing became ragged, and he scraped his nails along Greed’s scalp, making him growl. Greed shifted his weight, and used his free hand to run his fingers down Ling’s sculpted chest. He then tugged at the waistband of Ling’s trousers.

 

Suddenly, Ling pushed him away. “Greed, I—“

 

“Too fast?”

 

“Yeah . . . yeah, a little.”

 

Greed shrugged, feeling a slightly disappointed. Still, Ling was pretty young, compared to him. Greed could wait. Then, the thought of _exactly_ what he could do with Ling when the time came crossed his mind.

 

“What are you grinning at me like that for?”

 

“I’m just thinking of things we can do later. Really fun things. And we might be able to do them with Lan Fan as well”

 

Ling’s eyes widened and Greed snickered at the half-embarrassed, half-aroused look on his face.

 

“Do I want to know what you have in mind?”

 

“How about _everything_?”

 

Ling gave him a lopsided smile. “You’re really greedy, you know that?”

 

Greed laughed, and Ling jerked him down for another kiss.


	18. Chapter 18

As usual, the garden with Grandfather’s altar was calm. Peaceful. Only the faintest breeze stirred the branches of the trees above her. The blossoms had begun to fall, covering the thick grass with a thin carpet of pink flowers. She dusted the blossoms off Grandfather’s altar with her right hand. Her left shoulder felt like it was on fire, and movement sent agony flaring right through her body. The pain almost made her sick. She’d tried to tend to the wound herself, but she had run out of the right medical supplies, and if she asked an alkahestrist or doctor, the Young Lord and Greed would find out—and that was the last thing she wanted.  She lit the incense, and soon the smell of sandalwood mingled with the scents of the garden around her. She bowed to the altar, and then folded her legs under her, into a perfect lotus position. It wasn’t really appropriate, but it reminded her of the times when she’d sought Grandfather’s advice, while he’d been alive.

 

She’d never been more desperate for it than now, though.

 

She took a deep breath. The cool air tugged at her hood and the silk strings of her mask. She knew that she should be resting—the Young Lord and the homunculus were sparring with the Elric brothers, so she was off guard duty, and her injury needed whatever rest she could give it. But, the thought of either the Young Lord or the homunculus was worse agony than her wound right now. She could still see them in her mind’s eye. The Young Lord lying flat against the pillows, with his hands on Greed’s neck, and Greed leaning over him, kissing him.

 

Her eyes pricked, and she willed herself not to cry. She was so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Once she’d mastered her emotions—mostly—she opened her eyes and looked at Grandfather’s portrait.

 

Was she imagining it, or was there a slight expression of pity on his face?

 

“Grandfather, I need your advice. I always knew my place. You made sure of that. I was to be the Young Lord’s shield, his weapon. I was supposed to protect him, at any cost—nothing more. But, I fell for him. So fast and so deep, that I never imagined _not_ being in love with him. I’m sorry I never told you that, but you would have called me a fool. And you’re right,” A tear dripped onto the back of her hand, and she angrily wiped at her eyes, ”I _am_ a fool. But, you don’t know how much.  I thought I’d given everything to the Young Lord—my mind, heart and soul—but, then, Greed returned and . . . I fell for him as well.”

 

She gave a bitter laugh. “You’d be so enraged if you saw that. I’m in love with the monster that swallowed the Young Lord. Yet, there’s so much good in him, Grandfather. I know you would have seen it, if you’d survived. He _grieved_ over you . . . and now, I saw them _kissing_ each other. They confessed their love for each other.  And, I _want_ to be happy for them, but, if they did love each other, why did they both kiss me? Was I a game to them? Were they just toying with me?”

 

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine how her Grandfather would have reacted to her broken heart. Would he have slapped her and called her a fool? Probably. But, he would have also held her close and let her sob out the ache in her soul. And he probably would have had words with the Emperor. As for Greed—Grandfather would have probably tried to tear him apart—Ultimate Shield or not—for hurting her.

 

Suddenly, something bumped against her shin. She snapped open her eyes, and looked down. Xiao Mei was nuzzling against her leg. Lan Fan tried to smile at the little panda, but it felt wobbly.

 

“Hey, Xiao Mei, how are you? Why aren’t you with Mei?”

 

Xiao Mei trilled, and butted her head against Lan Fan’s shin again. She reached out, and scooped the panda up. She placed Xiao Mei on her knee.

 

“Mei’s probably worried about you. Why don’t you go to her?”

 

The panda settled more comfortably on Lan Fan’s knee, and gave her a look. Lan Fan scratched Xiao Mei behind her ears.

 

“So, you want to stay with me, huh? I’m afraid I’m not very good company at the moment.  You probably heard me speaking to Grandfather. I’m such an idiot, Xiao Mei.”

 

She gave another bitter laugh, and wiped at the traitorous wetness on her cheeks.  Xiao Mei gave an anxious trill and leapt onto Lan Fan’s shoulder—miraculously not the injured one. She nuzzled Lan Fan’s neck. It was a comforting feeling.

 

“You know what they say: if you make a mistake, then you’re human, but if you make the same mistake, then you’re a fool. I’m a real idiot—falling for the two men I could never have. And you know what’s the worst part? I don’t want one or the other. I want them _both_. It’s selfish and wrong . . . but it’s the truth.”

 

She sniffed. Xiao Mei made a questioning noise.

 

“Don’t worry, Xiao Mei. I’ll get through this.”

 

She had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so we finally got a kiss and a confession. I hope that the Greed and Ling relationship didn't feel rushed. I know that people were expecting Ling or Greed to confess to Lan Fan first, but the reason I chose to have Greed and Ling confess first is because I think that since they shared a body, they have an extremely intimate connection, and would be more comfortable confessing to each other than Lan Fan. . . at least at first.
> 
> Also, as I said, there would be no smut depicted here. In my head, Ling and Lan Fan are both inexperienced in sex (i.e. virgins). So, though Ling loves Greed, he isn't quite ready to take that step yet. 
> 
> And, poor Lan Fan. She only saw the kiss between Ling and Greed, and left before she could hear the rest of the conversation where they said they loved her. Thus, she is convinced they don't love her. 
> 
> Let me know what you think, especially if the relationship between Greed and Ling felt rushed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, work was a bit overwhelming this week, but uploading makes me happy. So, here's a chapter for your viewing pleasure.

A breeze blew in through the half-open balcony door. Ling shivered and Greed tightened his grip on Ling, tugging their blankets back into place. The kid was snoring lightly, his head resting on Greed’s chest. Greed didn’t mind. Anything that helped Ling sleep was fine with him. Besides, cuddling like this was . . . nice.

 

Fuck, he really _was_ turning into a sap.

 

Suddenly, Ling stiffened, and jerked upright. He stared into the darkness. For a moment, Greed wondered how he could see anything in the ink-black room. Then, he remembered how effectively Ling had fought against Gluttony in the dark.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Shhh! I’m trying to concentrate.”

 

Greed frowned. At some point, he was going to corner Mei or Al and get them to teach him some of this Dragon’s Pulse nonsense. He nevertheless strained his hearing.

 

A scream tore through the night.

 

Ling leapt out of the futon, and raced for the screen door, Greed right behind him. He didn’t need Ling’s cry of “Lan Fan!” to recognise her voice. Ling flung the screen open, and rushed through the parlour and out into the corridor, with Greed right behind him. The corridor was deserted—or at least, that’s what Greed thought at first. But, then his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the corridor, and he saw something huddled on the floor. His breath stopped as he recognised Lan Fan. She was convulsing, her flesh hand clamped over her mouth to muffle the screaming. Ling was beside her, and Greed fell to his knees next to them.

 

“Lan Fan! What is it? What’s wrong?”

 

Ling tried to grab her hand but couldn’t because of her spasming. She then convulsed one last time, and fell limp. Ling and Greed exchanged a worried look, before Ling tried to pull her into a sitting position. It was profoundly disturbing to Greed that she wasn’t resisting.

 

“Come on, Toots, talk to us, damnit!”

 

Greed grabbed her hand, and felt her trembling. As he watched, she weakly opened her eyes. 

 

“It’s nothing . . . automail.”

 

Greed summoned his Ultimate Shield over his free hand. He shredded the shoulder of her uniform with his claws. The men sucked in sharp breaths as they stared at her shoulder. Greed swore, using whatever words popped into his brain—and Ling added a few Xingese as well. The flesh around the port was red and swollen, and there was liquid seeping out of the connection where metal met flesh. Angry red lines ran from the automail, along her collarbone, towards her neck.

 

“Lan Fan, what’s this? When did this happen?” Ling asked.

 

“It’s  . . . nothing,” she repeated, trying to break Ling’s grip, but Ling held her tighter.

 

“Lan Fan, where did you get this injury? It’s infected!”

 

“I—I got it while running.”

 

Something fell into place in Greed’s mind and he slammed his carbon-coated fist into the floor. He didn’t care that he made a huge crack in the marble.

 

“Damnit, Toots! Don’t tell me this happened when we were running the other day?”

 

She didn’t answer. Instead, she pressed her face into the crook of Ling’s neck.

 

“Why didn’t you get this seen to?” Ling demanded.

 

“No . . . time.”

 

Greed reached out and carefully lifted up Lan Fan’s automail hand. She hissed and twisted away from him. Ling tightened his grip on her.

 

“We need to get her to Mei, or another alkahestrist. Or even a normal doctor, if there’s one here,” Greed said.

 

“No!” she snapped.

 

“Lan Fan . . .”

 

“No doctors. Or alkahestrists”

 

She pulled away from Ling and gave them both the _Edward Elric, I’m going to do this so, help me or get the fuck out my way_ look. No, the look needed a new name. It was the _Lan Fan_ _I’m going to do this so, help me or get the fuck out my way_ look.

 

“Fine. I have some stuff in my chambers we can use to treat her.” Ling slipped his arms under Lan Fan and effortlessly lifted her up.

 

She muttered a weak protest, but rested her head against Ling.

 

“Let’s go,” he said.

 

“I’m right with you, partner.”

 

Greed ran ahead of them, and shoved open the screen door. He also went around, lighting the various lamps, as Ling set her down on the daybed. In the light, Greed could see the faint sheen of sweat on Lan Fan’s forehead, and how pale she really was.

 

“I’m going to fetch the medical kit,” Ling said, disappeared back into his bedchambers.

 

Greed walked up to Lan Fan and sat down in front of her.

 

“Toots, I—”

 

“Don’t. It’s not your fault.”

 

“Yes, it is, Toots. I should have taken you to an alkahestrist as soon as we got back.”

 

“I wouldn’t have gone. I had guard duty.”

 

“You stubborn woman, don’t you ever—“

 

“I’m back!”

 

Ling suddenly returned and placed the medical kit on the daybed beside Greed.

 

“Right, I have some peroxide to clean the wounds, a cream that is specially made for automail injuries, a poultice for the swelling as well as bandages and some painkillers.”

 

“Painkillers?”

 

“Yep,” Ling held up the small box as evidence. “Though, they may put you to sleep for a while.”

 

Lan Fan glared at the box. Ling ignored her. With gentle movements, Ling and Greed removed her hoodie, so that they could work on her wound properly. She flushed a little at being in just her undershirt, but Greed didn’t have time to appreciate the view. Ling slipped behind her, so that her back was supported by his chest

 

“I can sit up, Your Majesty.”

 

“Of course you can.” He didn’t move.

 

Greed pulled out the peroxide, and popped it open. Greed handed Ling a cloth from inside the bag.

 

“Toots, you ready for this?”

 

She reached out, and—to Greed’s shock—squeezed his free hand in her flesh one.

 

“Now I am.”

 

Greed leant forward and lightly poured peroxide over the wound. She hissed as the liquid frothed and bubbled, and Ling carefully wiped the foam away. They repeated this several times, until the peroxide stopped foaming. Then, Greed stoppered the bottle and gently massaged the cream into the tender flesh surrounding the port. After he was done, he reluctantly released Lan Fan’s hand so that he could properly apply the poultice.  Once the poultice was in place, Ling helped him bandage her up neatly.

 

Lan Fan let out a relieved sigh—at least until Ling pulled out two pills from the box. Greed saw that there was also a water skin in the medical kit. He scooped it out. She glared at the pills.

 

“No.”

 

“Lan Fan.”

 

“No, I’m not taking sleeping pills. What if someone tries and attacks you? I won’t be able to protect you!”

 

“You’re injured, damnit. Just take the pills.”

 

“No.”

 

“Toots, be reasonable here. You’re not going to help anyone if you’re in pain. Now, shut up and take the pills.”

 

“No.”

 

“Lan Fan, I don’t want to order you to take them . . . so please, just stop being stubborn and let us help you.”

 

She continued to glare at the pills. Greed sighed.

 

“Toots, think logically. Anyone who wants to get to this idiot has to take me out first. And, what are the chances of that happening?”

 

She gave him a look. “You’ve died before, you know.”

 

The three of them flinched at that. Greed released her hand, and rubbed the back of his neck. He then steepled his fingers and fixed her with a look.

 

“All right, Lan Fan. New plan. You take one of the pills—just one—and I promise I’ll stand guard over the Prince.”

 

“Emperor,” Ling corrected.

 

“Yeah, Emperor dumbass. And, you, Toots, can stay right here where we can keep an eye on you.”

 

“ _What?!”_

 

“You won’t go to a doctor,” Ling pointed out casually, “so, who else is going to make sure you’re okay?”

 

“Look at it this way, Toots. If you stay here, you can make sure I’m doing your job right.”

 

Her shoulders sagged. She glared at them both, but she took the pill, popped it into her mouth and forced it down with a gulp of water. Ling beamed, and Greed felt the tension winding out of him. Greed slipped his one hand beneath Lan Fan’s thighs, the other around her waist, and easily lifted her into his arms.

 

“Greed, what are you doing? Put me down!”

 

“Can’t do that, sorry, Toots. Hey, partner, you mind getting the door?”

 

Ling shot him a lopsided smile, and moved ahead of the two of them to clear a path, and to light the lamps in their bedchamber. Lan Fan was blushing a little, but she didn’t protest.

 

At least, until he set her down in their bed.

 

“I can’t stay in the Emperor’s bed!”

 

“Yes, you, can. It’s definitely big enough.”

 

“No, I—“

 

“Yes, you can, Lan Fan. I can sleep on the floor.”

 

“Your Majesty, please. ”  She started to get up. “The Emperor can’t sleep on the floor. I can—“

 

“No, you can’t,” Ling snapped. “You’re injured. And an Emperor is supposed to take care of his people, especially the injured ones. Now, just relax and get some sleep.”

 

She stopped trying to get up, and Ling started collecting pillows and blankets. Greed watched him with raised eyebrows.

 

“What are you doing, kid?”

 

“I’m getting ready to sleep on the daybed. What does it look like I’m doing?”

 

“It looks like you’re being an idiot.”

 

“Well, you should do the same.”

 

“Like hell I am!” Greed climbed into the futon next to Lan Fan. “I’m quite comfortable here, thanks. Unless Toots wants to be greedy and have the bed to herself?”

 

“I thought you were supposed to be on guard duty,” she muttered.

 

He grinned at her. “I am. Ling’s going to sleep here, next to you, so I can keep an eye on you both.”

 

Lan Fan wasn’t looking at either of them. She was staring at the floor. Her automail must have been hurting her a great deal, because Greed could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

 

“I don’t mind sharing the bed with you two.” Her words were so soft, Greed almost couldn’t hear them.

 

“Sound like a plan, Toots. Now, you little pissant, stop being an ass, and get over here.”

 

Ling didn’t need more of an invitation. He dropped the pillows and settled down next to Lan Fan. The three of them slipped under the blankets. Greed carefully pulled Lan Fan closer, until her forehead rested on his collar bone, and her automail lightly lay on his arm. Ling snuggled up behind her, so that his body cupped hers. Finally, Greed carefully reached over Lan Fan, so that his hand rested on Ling’s waist. Ling shot him another lopsided smile at that, before twisting around and blowing out the lamp. They lay like that for a while, until first Lan Fan, then Ling slipped into slumber. Greed watched them sleep as the night passed. And—though he would always deny it—there was a soft smile on his face.   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Lan Fan gets to cuddle in the bed as well. But, she still believes that they really don't care about her--the only reason she agreed was because she was in too much pain to protest too much.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I managed to finish early at work for the first--and probably last--time. So, I thought I'd upload this for you. Enjoy!

Her automail port was throbbing. Though, as she rolled the shoulder, she realised that it was nowhere nearly as painful as it had been the previous day, when the Young Lord and Greed had—

 

_No!_

 

Her eyes flew open. It only took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, she realised that she was staring at Greed’s sleeping form. His _bare-chested_ sleeping form.  And that the Young Lord was snoring softly into her neck. They both had their arms wrapped around her. What had she done? _What had she done?_ She’d spent the night in the Emperor’s bed! With the Emperor and the homunculus! Granted, they hadn’t actually _done_ anything, but that wouldn’t matter to the gossip around Court. Gossip like that could ruin the Young Lord. It would undermine the respect the other Clans had for him . . . or maybe the people would be so outraged at the Young Lord’s choice of partner that they would send assassins after him.  The Pure Xingese were probably waiting for exactly this sort of excuse to eliminate the Young Lord.

 

_You damn fool!_

 

She forced herself to breathe calmly. She could still salvage this situation. As long as she could slip out of the bed and into her own chambers before anyone noticed. Or rather, to her post outside the door. She reached out and carefully tried to move Greed’s arm, wincing as the movement aggravated her wounds. Suddenly, the arms around her waist tightened.

 

“Where are you going, Lan Fan?” The Young Lord murmured sleepily into her ear.

 

“Your Majesty, please let me go. I have to leave.”

 

“Leave? Why? Is your automail hurting you?” She felt him sit up a little behind her.

 

“No, but—”

 

“Then, shush, and go back to sleep.” He settled back down. “Or you’ll wake Greed.”

 

“Greed’s already awake,” the homunculus muttered, and Lan Fan saw his wine-coloured eyes staring at her from the darkness. “Toots, what’s wrong?”

 

“I need to get to my own chambers.”

 

“Why, Toots?” Greed reached out and ran a fingertip along her jawline. “Aren’t you comfortable here?”

 

“I—I am, but—” She tried to wriggle away. “I have to go!”

 

“Why?”

 

“I-I have to.” She sat up, and forced them to loosen their grip on her.

 

She heard fumbling behind her, and suddenly there was an orange glow filling the room from one of the tapers the Young Lord had lit. He quickly lit the oil lamp on his side table, and blew out the taper. He blinked sleepily, and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. Greed sat up as well, yawning as he did so. They were both staring at her.

 

“I have to go.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s cause she’s scared, kid,” Greed said.

 

She glared at Greed. “I’m not scared.”

 

“Yeah, you are.”

 

“I’m not listening to—” Greed grabbed her flesh wrist.

 

Immediately, Lan Fan tried to pull him off balance, or break his grip, but he threw up his Ultimate Shield, and braced himself.

 

“You want us, Toots. You’re scared because you want us. You want us so badly; it feels like there’s a screaming void inside you.  You want us both, like Half-pint wants Tinman and the Runt wants Peaches. It scares the crap outta you. Am I right? Look me in the eye and tell me I’m wrong.”

 

Her mouth went dry. Lan Fan looked away from them. From the corner of her eye, she saw him smirk and he released her wrist. She focused her eyes on the silk bedding, and toyed with the edge of the cover.

 

“I thought so.”

 

“H-how did you know?” she asked quietly.

 

“I’m Greed the Avaricious. The living embodiment of want.  I’d be pretty pathetic if I couldn’t recognise when someone _wanted_ something.”

 

She looked down at her hands. One metal, inhuman. The other covered in calluses from training, and with a scattering of scars to match. The hands of a weapon. No matter what she felt for them, that was what she was.

 

“It doesn’t matter what I want.”

 

“What? Lan Fan, of course it matters!” the Young Lord cried.

 

“No, it doesn’t,” she said.  “Your Majesty, you need be with someone who will help you bring prosperity and stability to Xing. You need  someone who is dedicated to our country, and who will help you improve the lives of our people. And Greed, you need someone who can give you everything you want: status, power, wealth. You can both do better than a disfigured cripple.”

 

She bowed her head, and waited for her dismissal. She could feel the stinging in her eyes.

 

_I won’t cry in front of them. I refuse._

 

“Are you insane?!”

 

“What the actual fuck, Toots?!”

 

Lan Fan snapped her head up. Both men were staring at her with identical expressions of rage on their faces.

 

“How can you even think that about yourself?”

 

“The kid’s right. Disfigured cripple my ass. You’re the most badass woman in all of Xing!”

 

“You’re beautiful, devoted to our country, fearless—how can you not see that?!”

 

“I blame you for this, Ling.” Greed glared at him

 

“How is this my fault?”

 

“You’re the Emperor, right? Don’t you have to take the blame for everything?”

 

“I swear, Greed, I’m going to—”

 

“I’m confused,” Lan Fan managed to say before the two of them could really start arguing.

 

“What’s there to be confused about, Toots? This idiot,” Greed jerked his thumb at the Young Lord, “has been wanting to marry you since he was five years old because you were, and I quote ‘weally stwong and pwetty’ He even asked Fu for his permission to marry you.”

 

The Young Lord blushed and glared at Greed. “Yeah, well, after you saved our ass from falling off that wall during the Promised Day, Greed wouldn’t shut up about you. He kept calling you the ‘Ideal woman’.”

 

“Shut up, you little pissant.” Greed clenched his carbon-coated fists.

 

“Am I wrong?”

 

Greed glared at him, and Ling smirked and turned back to Lan Fan.

 

“What that translates to is that we love you, Lan Fan.”

 

“That’s impossible. Impossible.”

 

Bile surged up her throat, and her breathing was staccato. How could they lie like this? Wasn’t there supposed to be an agreement against lying?

 

“Nothing’s impossible, Toots.”

 

“Think about it, Lan Fan. They say that recovering from automail surgery in under three years is impossible. They say that surviving the implantation of the philosopher’s stone is impossible. They say coming back from the dead is impossible. So, between the three of us, we’ve beaten the crap out of impossible.”

 

“Don’t lie to me,” she said through gritted teeth. “I-I saw you two kissing.”

 

They gaped at her, and then looked at each other.

 

“Ah. Greed, you want to handle this?”

 

“No, you do it, kid.”

 

“Gee, thanks.” The Young Lord sighed. “Lan Fan, you’re right. We did kiss, but I can explain . . . you know how messed up I was after the Promised Day. Hell, I’m still having nightmares about it . When I lost Greed, it was like a part of my soul was gone. I realise that I can’t live without him.”

 

“Aww, I’m touched.”

 

“Shut up, Greed” The Young Lord snapped, and continued, “But, that doesn’t change the way I feel about you. You have to believe me.  I want you both. I _love_ you both. No one else. I don’t think I could ever feel this way about anyone else.”

 

The Young Lord reached out and held her flesh hand in his. Lan Fan swallowed hard. Sincere. He was being sincere. 

 

Lan Fan swallowed hard, and looked at Greed. “And you?”

 

Greed sighed. “You really gonna put me on the spot here, Toots? I didn’t have to explain this to the idiot here.”

 

“I was inside your head remember?”

 

“Don’t call His Majesty  an idiot.”

 

“He’ll always be an idiot. My idiot.”

 

“You’re stalling.”

 

“Right,” Greed sighed. “Well, Toots. All my life I’ve had this  . . . emptiness inside me. I thought it was because I wanted to be Ruler of the World, but on the Promised Day, I realised that all I really wanted was friendship and love. And when I got back, I wanted what the Runt had with Winry. Only, I wanted it with both you and Ling here. Being with you two . . . it makes me feel satisfied. For the first time in two hundred years, I’m satisfied.”

 

Suddenly, Greed groaned and covered his face. “God damnit, I sound so pathetic!”

 

The Young Lord patted his thigh. “Don’t worry, Greed. Your secret’s safe with us.”

 

“How?” Lan Fan asked him. “How could you possibly be satisfied with just me and the Emperor. You’re an immortal—“

 

“Not any more.”

 

_“What?!”_ Lan Fan and the Young Lord stared at him incredulously.

 

He shrugged. “Didn’t I tell you? When I came back, part of the catch was that by simply being alive, I use up the energy of the philosopher’s stone. Like you guys use up your life force by living.  If I don’t use my Ultimate Shield, and avoid getting injured, I could live another four hundred years, but if I use them regularly, I’ll live about the same length of time as a human.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us about this?”

 

“It kinda slipped my mind.”

 

“ _Slipped your mind?_ ” The Young Lord repeated in disbelief. “How can that slip your mind?”

 

“Because it’s not that important.”

 

“You’re okay with being mortal,” Lan Fan said aloud as the realisation hit her.

 

“Well, I’m not looking forward to becoming a wrinkly old geezer, but . . . I’ve died, and I’ve seen people I cared about get killed in front of me. I know which one was worse. So, to answer the questions, Toots, yes, I’m okay with dying, and yes, I’ll be satisfied with your gorgeous ass on my one arm, and Ling’s on the other.”

 

She looked from the Young Lord to Greed. The two men who could command or charm anyone they wanted. The men she loved—were asking her to be with them. Because they loved her back.

 

For a long moment, she hesitated—but there was only one answer she could give.

 

“Yes,” she said firmly. “I want this . . . the three of us, together.”

 

There was a loud whoop, and suddenly the Young Lord was kissing her. Her flesh hand reached up to tangle in his hair. She moaned into his mouth as Greed stared nipping at her neck. Three pairs of hands started roaming, when suddenly one of them jostled her automail and she jerked away from them.

 

“Oops.”

 

“Sorry, Toots. We forgot you were injured.”

 

“It’s fine. It’s nothing serious.”

 

“Good.” Greed suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist, and flopped down onto the pillows, taking her with him. He reached out and yanked the Young Lord down so that he was lying on Greed’s other side.

 

“What are you doing, Greed?”

 

“I’m catching up on my sleep. What else?” Greed gave a bone-cracking yawn, as if to emphasise the point. “You kids should do the same.”

 

“We’re not children, you know.”

 

“You’ll always be kids to me, Toots. I am over two hundred years old.”

 

“Should we start calling you ‘old man’, then?” Lan Fan asked.

 

The Young Lord snickered and Greed glared at him.

 

“She’s got you there, Greed.”

 

“Shut up, you little shit.”

 

“But, you’re right. It’s late.” The Young Lord said. “We should all get some sleep. Goodnight, Greed, Lan Fan.”

 

“Night, partner. Night, Toots.”

 

“Goodnight, Greed. Goodnight Your Majesty.”

 

The Young Lord propped himself up to look at her. “Lan Fan, if we’re all going to be together, you need to call me by my name.”

 

“I can’t do that! What will the nobles say?”

 

“I don’t really care.”

 

“Maybe . . . I’ll do it when we’re in private?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Goodnight . . . Ling.” The name sent a thrill through her.

 

The You— _Ling_ beamed at her. He leant over and blew out the oil lamp. In the darkness, Lan Fan realised she was grinning like an idiot, and didn’t care at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we have the moment we've all been waiting for. The OT3 is finally complete! :D But, you know that nothing will remain simple for these three.
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated--your reviews really help me to know what I'm doing right or where I could improve.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to get this up because I won't be able to update this for a while because of the Valentine's Day thing I'm working on (which I hope you'll all like) and because of work.
> 
> Enjoy!

Ling flopped back onto his pillows, a wide grin on his face. It had happened. He had Lan Fan and he had Greed—although Greed would insist that Lan Fan and Ling belonged to him. Ling chuckled softly. It was all just semantics. They were in a relationship—and he was happier than he’d ever been, including the moment when he’d been crowned Emperor of Xing. He glanced over to his right. Greed was still there, lying face down on the pillows. Lan Fan had already slipped through the adjoining door to her own chambers, in order to get ready for her run.

 

Then there was a brisk rap on the screen door.

 

“Tell them to fuck off,” Greed mumbled into his pillow.

 

“I can’t do that. It might be important.” Ling sighed and rolled out of the futon.

 

He grabbed his robe, and pulled it on, deciding to maintain some semblance of dignity. He yawned as he entered the parlour. It was too early to have visitors. He hoped that nothing was seriously wrong, because he wasn’t in the mood to deal with depressing things just yet.  He pulled open the screen door.

 

“HOW DARE YOU INTERFER WITH THE FEELINGS OF AN INNOCENT MAIDEN, YOU MORONIC JERK!”

 

A fist connected solidly with his jaw, and Ling found himself flying backward to crash into the low table. It shattered on impact. Ling didn’t have time to think. He rolled to his feet, blocked the next two blows, and yelped as the dwarf panda sank her teeth into his hand. A powerful kick to his solar plexus drove the wind out of him, and he doubled over.

 

He realised that Fu’s training had never really prepared him to deal with an enraged Mei and Xiao Mei.

 

“Ling!” Greed stumbled into the room, and his eyes went wide as he saw Mei. “What the hell’s going on here?”

 

She rounded on Greed. “I warned you, homunculus, about toying with Lan Fan!”

 

Greed quickly put up his Ultimate Shield, and smirked. “Don’t bother, Half-pint. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

 

Mei smirked right back. “Not quite. I picked up a few things while Teacher Izumi was here in Xing.”

 

She flung her kunai, and Ling watched as they landed in a circle around Greed. There was a flash of blue light. Mei charged forward, and, though Greed managed to block her first two kicks, her third one hit him directly in the jaw. His Ultimate Shield shattered, and he went  flying—straight into Ling, who was knocked off his feet again.  Ling groaned as he tried to push Greed off him. Mei advanced on them, Xiao Mei growling at them from her position on her shoulder.

 

“Mei, calm down!” Ling shouted as he scrambled backwards.

 

Greed, being as brave as he was, decided to cower behind Ling.

 

“Don’t tell me to calm down! How can I calm down when you’ve been toying with Lan Fan’s feelings?!”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 

“Liar! You’ll pay! You’ll both pay!” She flung her kunai again, and Ling readied himself to dodge an alkahestric attack, when a voice suddenly cut into the room.

 

“Your Majesty? Mei? What’s going on here?”

 

Lan Fan stood in a defensive stance near the doorway, her eyes flickering between the three of them. She took in the broken table, the smoking crater where Mei had attacked Greed and the kunai marks in the floor.

 

“Toots, you gotta help us. Half-Pint’s gone bat-shit crazy!”

 

“I’m not crazy! Xiao Mei told me everything, Lan Fan, especially about how these two were toying with your affections.”

 

The panda growled at Ling and Greed.

 

“You see, she talks to a panda! Of course she’s crazy.”

 

“Greed, you and I were talking to ourselves a lot when we shared a body. I don’t think we have the right to call anyone else insane.”

 

“That’s different!”

 

“You two, shut up!” Mei yelled, “or I’ll—”

 

“No, Mei. It’s okay,” Lan Fan said, as she stepped into the parlour and put herself between the enraged Princess and the men.

 

“Okay? What okay? Nothing about this is _okay_!”

 

“No, Mei. I spoke with the Emperor—“

 

“Ling! I asked you to call me _Ling_!”

 

Lan Fan sent him a hesitant glance, before continuing. “I spoke with _Ling_ and Greed last night. We sorted everything out. We all have feelings for each other, so . . . “

 

Mei frowned  for a second, and then her eyes widened. “Are you saying that you’re t _ogether_?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Mei squealed and threw herself at Lan Fan, hugging her tightly. “I’m so happy for you.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Lan Fan flinched, and clutched at her shoulder. Immediately, Ling leapt to his feet, and went to her, with Greed right beside him.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s her automail. She’s injured her port.” Ling said. “Greed and I tended to it last night, but I’d appreciate you looking at her injuries.”

 

“No problem. And sorry about punching you in the face.”

 

Ling rubbed his jaw, and winced as he touched the forming bruise. “It’s all right. I guess I deserved it for not handling the situation better.”

 

“You didn’t handle the situation at all, kid,” Greed said.

 

“Like you did any better!”

 

“Stop bickering, you two,” Mei snapped. “Lan Fan, would you let me see your arm?”

 

Lan Fan rolled up the sleeve of her tunic, and exposed her bandaged shoulder. A quick movement of one of Mei’s kunai sliced open the bandages, and Mei winced as she took a look at the wound.  Although it didn’t seem as swollen as it had last night, it was still inflamed, and seeping.

 

“It’s definitely infected, but you two did a pretty decent job of treating it. It should be a simple matter to fix this up. Lie down.”

 

Lan Fan kicked aside a few fragments of broken table and obeyed. Mei threw her kunai in a circle around Lan Fan’s arm. Lan Fan didn’t even flinch—a silent statement of how much trust now existed between the two women. Mei drew an alkahestric circle, and started the healing. In the blue light of the transumtic reaction,  Ling saw the tension leave Lan Fan’s face.

 

_Her automail must have been hurting her more than she let us know._

Ling made a mental note to talk to Lan Fan about hiding her injuries. He heard Greed muttering under his breath. When Ling turned to look at him, he saw Greed was glaring at Lan Fan’s inhuries. Apparently, Ling wasn’t the only one fed up with Lan Fan’s tendency to downplay and hide her wounds.

 

“How’s that feel?” Mei asked, as the light faded.

 

Lan Fan sat up, and moved her arm back and forth. “Much better. Thanks Mei.”

 

“I’m glad.”

 

Ling  put a hand on Mei’s shoulder. “Thanks for helping out.”

 

Lan Fan gave Mei a look as she stood up. “Mei, I need you to do me a favour. Would you please keep our relationship a secret? The last thing I want is for this to cause trouble for the Emperor.”

 

“What do you mean trouble? And for the last time, call me _Ling_!”

 

“Yeah, Toots, why’d you want to hide? You should be boasting that you landed the two sexiest men in Xing.”

 

Greed flashed her a razor-blade grin. She blushed, and Ling smiled at Greed.

 

“Thanks for the compliment.”

 

“I have no choice—I wore that body for six months and there’s no way that I’m letting people say it wasn’t sexy .”

 

“I still think it’s best to hide our relationship.”

 

Ling sighed. “Lan Fan, why—”

 

“The Pure Xingese are still at large. They might send assassins after you if they find out. And, there’s the Court.”

 

“The Court can piss off.”

 

“She has a point,” Mei said to Ling. “You’ve done a lot for us as Emperor, but you’ve also been demanding a lot. You’ve asked us to change, and that’s not easy.  It’s upset a lot of traditionalists.” Then, Mei frowned. “Still, I don’t like the idea of hiding what you feel for each other.”

 

They had a point—especially about the Pure Xingese. He didn’t care if they sent assassins after him, but there was a chance they’d target Greed or Lan Fan. He couldn’t let that happen.

 

“It won’t be forever,” Ling vowed. “We’ll hide it for a little while, but when I feel the time is right, I’m going to let the entire country know who I’ve chosen to be by my side.” Ling grinned at the two of them. “I’m not ashamed of either of you.”

 

True to form, Lan Fan blushed, and Greed let out a raucous laugh and slapped Ling on the back.

 

“Well, when you do tell then, let me know so I can embarrass you in public. It’s been years since I’ve been the centre of a good scandal!”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have the awkward morning. I hope you all liked it--and that it made you smile at the very least.
> 
> As always, I love hearing your feedback. Have a great day.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so now that my Valentine's couples' one shots are done, it's time to get back to my long Greelingfan. Hope you like the next chapters.

As the weeks passed, Greed decided he didn’t like hiding what he felt for Ling and Lan Fan. It felt too much like lying. At least he didn’t have to avoid their company though. He had started helping out Ling with the economic reports, despite Ling’s smart-ass comments about how Greed wouldn’t understand the Xingese. When that happened, he’d ask Lan Fan what the _kanji_ meant, and she’d tell him softly, so that Ling didn’t realise he’d gotten stuck. Greed still played Pai Sho with Lan Fan, though now they played in Ling’s parlour while he read over reports—and occasionally, he’d switch places with one of them so he could join in while Greed worked on his Chimera novel, or Lan Fan sharpened her kunai. Greed still went for morning runs with Lan Fan and Al. And Greed, Ling and Lan Fan had tea together in the evenings, just before they settled in for the night. All Greed had to hide was the fact that he wanted to run his hands up and down their bodies whilst kissing them senseless. He thought he hid it pretty well—but sometimes, he caught Wu looking at him or Lan Fan with a mixture of suspicion and distaste.

 

It was easier to hide when they were around other people. The Elrics were still here, and Greed still enjoyed spending time with them—especially when they played poker together.

 

  ***

 

Greed examined his cards, and then laid them on the table. He leant back in satisfaction, and let his gaze move around the room. They were all gathered in Mei’s parlour, in the section of the Imperial Palace reserved for the Chang clan. Although the décor was similar to the rest of the palace, there were some subtle differences. There were no silk wall hangings—only tapestries that depicted what Greed presumed were the mountains near her Clan’s lands. Also, he noticed that there were some tapestries and pottery that looked like they’d been made in Ishval.

 

“I win, again,” he said smugly, as he gathered up the chips.

 

“How the hell is that bastard winning every round?” Ed demanded, “He has to be cheating!”

 

“Or maybe you’re just really bad at poker, Ed,” Winry said calmly.

 

“Not surprising for a bean-sprout!” Mei said teasingly.

 

“What did you call me?”

 

“Brother, calm down!”

 

“Hey, aren’t we playing another round?”Winry asked. “Just deal.”

 

“I can’t play!” Ed whined. “I’m broke. Al, lend me some money, please.”

 

“I can’t, Brother.  You need to be more responsible.”

 

“What!”

 

“Leave Al alone, Ed.”

 

“Or what, Gearhead?”

 

“Or I’ll hit you with my wrench.”

 

“You brought that thing here? I thought you left it back in our room?”

 

“Can we please play?” Mei asked and began dealing the cards.

 

Ed sighed, and Al nudged him.

 

“Cheer up, Brother. Why don’t you tell everyone what we developed?”

 

Ed immediately perked up. “You’ll like this, Greed. We managed to figure it out.”

 

“Figure out _what,_ Ed?” Winry asked.

 

“It still needs some refining, but Al and I figured out a transmutation circle that allows light to bend around it, and renders anything inside it invisible. And we also added an extra layer of symbols to the array, which means that all sounds inside it will be muffled.”

 

Greed stared at him blankly. “So?”

 

“So, dumbass, you’ll be able to spar with us.

 

Greed thrust his fist in the air. “All right. Finally, I can get a decent workout—even if it is against you two.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Well, you two are hardly a challenge.”

 

Winry shook her head at them. “Honestly, I don’t know why you guys like fighting so much.”

 

Greed winkled at her. “Don’t try to understand it, Peaches. Just go with it.”

 

“I wouldn’t mind a bit of sparring,” Mei said. “Why don’t we all try out Ed and Alphonse’s array once it's done?”

 

There was a murmur of assent as they all picked up their cards.  Greed surveyed the table. It was true what Winry said—Ed was really bad at poker. His reactions to his cards were too obvious. Winry wasn’t bad, but she played too cautiously to ever win big. Still, her cautious strategy meant that she never lost too much. As a result of not having a face for several years, Al could make his expression scarily blank—a perfect poker face. Mei was good at reading other people, but she was still too expressive. Ling, Greed could read like a book—but then Ling could do the same to him, so it balanced the game out. And Lan Fan was surprisingly good—despite her aversion to gambling—but then, she her training meant that she knew how to remain stoic, regardless of what she was feeling.

 

Lan Fan won the round easily, much to Ed’s horror. As she collected the chips, Mei started handing out the cards. As she placed one in front of Ling, he held up his hand and stood up.

 

“Don’t worry about me for this round.”

 

“Where you going, Ling?”

 

Ling patted his stomach ruefully. “I’d better get something to eat before I collapse. After all, Winry finished all the snacks.”

 

“Sorry, Ling! I’m just really hungry lately.”

 

“It’s no problem.”

 

Lan Fan immediately leapt to her feet. “I’ll get them, Your Majesty.”

 

Greed snickered as he saw a muscle in Ling’s jaw twitch. “It’s fine, Lan Fan. You’re playing so well, it would be a crime for you to miss a round.”

 

“You still shouldn’t wander around unescorted.”

 

“I won’t be. I’ll grab one of the guards that are loitering in the corridor, okay?”

 

“As Your Majesty wishes.” Lan Fan bowed respectfully, and a lock of her hair fell into her eyes.

 

Ling reached out, and tucked it behind her ear. A blush rose to Lan Fan’s cheeks, and—well, Greed could hardly blame Ling for kissing her when she looked so damn _gorgeous_. She made a surprised noise, but her eyelids fluttered closed. Ling’s hands came up to cup her cheeks, and she responded with enough enthusiasm to make him stagger backwards a bit. Greed felt his arousal spike as he watched the two of them, and he let out an appreciative wolf-whistle. The two of them sprang apart, looked at each other, and turned bright red.

 

They were so innocent . . . Greed couldn’t wait to see them when he _really_ got things going.

 

“Erm, I’ve got to—erm, yeah. Bye,” Ling stammered, and raced for the door, narrowly missing running straight into an expensive Ishvallan pot, as he left the room.

 

Winry, Al and Ed were staring at Lan Fan with round eyes. Mei had her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Xiao Mei was seated on her shoulder, and mimicked the gesture.

 

“What the hell was that about?” Ed demanded.

 

Lan Fan ignored him and sat down.  Greed cleared his throat.

 

“We gonna gossip or are we gonna play?” he asked.

 

“Hold up, I need an explanation for—”

 

“It doesn’t concern you, Ed,” Lan Fan snapped.

 

“Yeah, Ed, leave her alone. Or I swear, I will smack you with my wrench,” Winry threatened.

 

Ed slumped back into his seat. “Violent woman,” he muttered as Mei dealt the cards.

 

The round progressed, with everyone falling out until only Greed, Al and Lan Fan were left. He glanced at his cards, and tried to contain his smirk. Beneath the table, he reached out and laid his hand on Lan Fan’s thigh.

 

“Hey, Toots. How about we make this interesting?” he asked in a low voice. “How about the winner gets a kiss from the looser?”

 

And, as he spoke, his hand crept up her inner thigh. He noticed her cards start to tremble, ever so slightly. Her eyes flicked to him, and he grinned. She nodded, once.

 

The round continued, until Al sighed. “I fold.”

 

After that, both Greed and Lan Fan laid their cards down on the table. He looked at both hands and gave her his best razor grin.

 

“I win.” And he kissed her hard on the mouth. She pushed back against him, her automail arm going to grip his shoulder, hard enough to hurt.

 

It felt damn good.

 

He worked her mouth open, and his tongue ran along the inside of her teeth, making her shiver.

 

“I thought we agreed to keep this a secret?”

 

Greed broke away from Lan Fan, and glanced at the door. Ling was standing there, an amused expression on his face. Greed shrugged and stood up, shooting a look at the table as he did. Ed, Al and Winry were gaping at him, while Mei was fighting back a smile. Lan Fan made the slightest, _go ahead_ gesture with her hand, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

 

“I’m fucking confused,” Ed said.

 

Greed ignored him and crossed the room to where Ling stood.

 

“Not my fault, kid,” he said to Ling “You started it . Don’t tell me you’re jealous?” Greed leant down so that his face was close to Ling’s.

 

“Not at all,” Ling managed to rasp out, before Greed kissed him.

 

Greed’s arms snaked around Ling’s waist, pulling the younger man off balance, so Greed held his entire weight. Ling’s hands came up and raked through Greed’s hair. Greed growled into Ling’s mouth, and then caught Ling’s lip between his teeth, gnawing on it. Ling gasped, and Greed pulled away, satisfied with his handiwork.

 

He put his arm around Ling, and led him back to the table, where they took their seats next to Lan Fan. Her eyes were dancing, and she was smiling openly. The rest of the table was still staring at them. Ed turned to Al.

 

“I’m still fucking confused.”


	23. Chapter 23

Greed would never, ever get used to fighting in the middle of a transmutation circle. The pulsing blue light from the array, the glowing symbols—they made his every instinct scream “RUN!”. Unfortunately, the centre of the array was the only way place he could fight, so he had to put up with it. He’d been sceptical of exactly how the array was supposed to bend light and sound in order to hide what went on inside it. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a bunch of hysterical Xingese people trying to burn him at stake when they saw his Ultimate Shield—on the other hand, it might be funny as hell to see their expressions. Especially when he didn’t die.

 

Fortunately, the array seemed to be working—though, despite Ed and Al’s proud announcement during the game, it had taken them another _two weeks_ to finalise the array. None of the guards were even looking at the sparring ring, in the centre of the array, no matter how loud the fights got. Which meant that Greed could fight with his usual Ultimate Shield. But, the group had set out some rules for sparring—all matches were to be unarmed combat, unless they were fighting Greed, in which case they were allowed to bring into the ring a weapon of their choice. Also, both Ed and Lan Fan had to pull their attacks when they used their automail limbs, just in case they accidently broke someone’s bones. And finally, the purpose of the fight was to throw your opponent out of the ring—not to incapacitate them.

 

Nonetheless, they all got a decent work out during the fights. Winry watched from the side lines while the rest of them: Greed, Al, Ed, Mei, Lan Fan and Ling, fought. It was pretty interesting to see how the matches progressed—Ed and Al’s usually started out pretty evenly, but somewhere along the line, the two brothers would end up wrestling with each other and laughing hard. Greed guessed it was because they were both so relieved at getting Al’s original body back that they were making up for all the play fighting they missed out on while Al was in armour. Al was so reluctant to hurt Mei that she easily trounced him. Ed on the other hand, was perfectly willing to go all out against Mei—except for the fact that Al watched the matches with anxious eyes, making it difficult for Ed to bring himself to hurt someone Al cared so deeply about.

 

Greed had fun fighting against both Al and Ed. Ed had asked Winry to make an automail weapon—a short sword— that could be strapped to his right forearm. It looked very similar to his old automail, and Ed fought just as well as he always had with it. But, it didn’t do much good against Greed. When he fought Ed, Greed simply raised the Ultimate Shield to cover his entire body. He then spent the entire fight mocking Ed, and watching the former alchemist become more and more enraged. It was fun—up until the point where Ed stopped trying to stab him, and used Greed’s own momentum to fling him out the circle. The match against Al was more serious. Al had trained hard in the years since the Promised Day, so his attacks were almost as fast and strong as Ed’s. And, he was more level headed, which meant he was less prone to making mistakes. He and Greed exchanged a series of fast-paced attacks, until Greed managed to land a strong kick to Al’s side, which made Al stagger, and allowed Greed to throw him out the circle.

 

But, what Greed liked more than fighting with the Elrics was watching either Ling or Lan Fan fight. Lan Fan was spectacular when she fought. She wore a sleeveless vest, so Greed could see every muscle in her arms and legs working as she dodged her opponents’ attacks. Her own movements were blurs to his eyes, so he could only catch snippets of what she did: a kick here, a series of punches there, a few of her somersaults, but it was still damn impressive—especially considering that her automail hadn’t fully healed yet. What he really liked seeing were her eyes—utterly focused, utterly determined. He wanted to see some of that fire directed at him sometime. In a different context, of course.

 

“All right, who’s up next?” Al asked, as Ed and Ling finished their bout.

 

“I’ll go,” Ling said. “I haven’t had a real challenge yet.”

 

“What?! You and I just fought!”

 

“You’re hardly a challenge, Ed.”

 

“You idiot prince!”

 

“I’m Emperor now, moron,” Ling said, as he walked into the centre of the ring.

 

Greed took a moment to admire the view. His eyes raked over Ling’s broad shoulders, to his muscular arms and sculpted abs, and finally to his narrow hips. And when Ling moved, Greed got a view of his very nice ass. Greed grinned  and leapt into the ring.

 

“How about fighting me, then?”

 

Ling’s grin matched his. “You’re on.”

 

Lan Fan tossed Ling his Dao sword, and both he and Greed took up guard positions. Greed pulled the Ultimate Shield over his forearms, and smirked at Ling. Suddenly, Ling blurred into motion, his sword slashing at Greed’s head. Greed brought up his forearm, deflected the first strike, to almost have his arm sliced off by Ling’s counter. Ling’s attacks came hard and fast, and Greed found himself hard-pressed to do more than bat them away. Memories of his last fight with a swordsman—Wrath—simmered in the back of his head, but he dowsed them before they could distract him. Ling wasn’t Wrath. Ling _never_ would be anything like Wrath. Ling stabbed towards Greed’s head, so, Greed grabbed the blade and swiped at Ling’s face with his claws. Ling jerked backwards, releasing his grip on the sword. At the same time, he brought his leg up and landed a solid kick to Greed’s chest. Greed stumbled back, dropping the sword, and Ling swiped for his legs.

 

At the last second, Greed jumped, and Ling snatched up his sword as he leapt back up onto his feet. Greed attacked, his claws a blur, and Ling barely managed to get his sword up in time.

 

“Yield?” Greed asked, as his claws nearly cut open Ling’s stomach.

 

“Never,” Ling said, as he parried the blow.

 

“All right.”

 

As Ling brought his sword up for another attack, Greed rolled under the blow, and as he dodged behind, he slapped Ling on the ass. Ling stumbled, spinning around to face Greed. Greed let out a guffaw at the expression of shock, embarrassment and arousal on Ling’s face.

 

“What the _hell_ , Greed?”

 

Greed grinned, and resumed the attack. Ling’s sword came up to defend, and Greed had to block several blows, before he managed to get behind Ling.

 

Again, he slapped Ling on the ass.

 

“Greed, cut it out,” Ling hissed under his breath.

 

“Oh, come on. I know you like it.”

 

Greed smirked at him, and lunged forward, intent on slapping Ling’s firm ass one last time. Unfortunately, Ling seemed to be expecting him, and he managed to twist away. At the same time,  he kicked Greed hard in the side of the knee. Greed collapsed. Then, Ling simply grabbed his ankle and dragged him out of the circle.

 

“I win,” Ling said.

 

“Don’t sound so smug, you little pissant,” Greed muttered, as he got to his feet.

 

“I’ll go next,” Mei said as she stepped into the circle.

 

Lan Fan didn’t wait, but stepped into the circle with her. There was a sharp grin on Mei’s face. It was mirrored on Lan Fan’s. Al wrung his hands.

 

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. The last time they fought in front of me, they really were trying to kill each other,” Al said. “I hope it doesn’t turn out like that again.”

 

“Don’t worry, Al,” Greed said, as the thought back to  when Mei nearly tore him—and Ling—apart for messing with Lan Fan. “Those two wouldn’t really hurt each other.”

 

Mei moved first, leaping forward, and kicking for Lan Fan’s face. Lan Fan blocked and Mei used her arm as a springboard to jump back. As soon as she landed, Lan Fan let off her own attacks, a double punch combo, followed by a front kick. Mei ducked and swiped for Lan Fan’s knee. Lan Fan grunted, and fell to her knees. Mei kicked at her head, but then Lan Fan caught her leg, and sent Mei flying. She landed dangerously close to the edge of the circle. She jumped to her feet, and the two women circled each other. Then, Lan Fan charged forward, intent on striking Mei in the chest with her knee. Mei blocked, and aimed an elbow strike at Lan Fan’s head, which the woman blocked easily.

 

After that, the women began moving faster, blurring before Greed’s eyes. All he could hear was their pants, and a few grunts as they managed to land glancing blows on each other. Suddenly, Lan Fan caught Mei’s wrist, and flipped the woman so that she landed hard on the floor. Mei blinked up at Lan Fan and then snorted.

 

“Can you imagine what Dr. Knox would do if he saw us like this?”

 

Dr Knox? The name was familiar to Greed. Where had he—of course. That was the doctor who saved Lan Fan after she severed her arm. Lan Fan laughed.

 

“He’d probably hit us over the head with soup bowls again.”

 

Lan Fan reached out a hand and helped Mei to her feet.

 

“Truce?”

 

“Truce.”

 

The two women walked out of the ring with identical grins.

 

“Who still hasn’t gone?”

 

“I haven’t fought against Greed,” Lan Fan said as she shook out the sand from her trousers.

 

“Sorry, Toots. I don’t fight women. I’m not that kinda guy.”

 

Lan Fan stiffened, and sent him a furious glare, but before Greed could say anything, Ling let out a groan.

 

“Oh, no. Wu found us.”

 

Greed glanced up. Sure enough, on the edge of the arena was the scrawny figure of Ling’s advisor. The man was looking around in confusion. Then, he frowned and suddenly went still.

 

“How could he find us?” Ed demanded. “The array should keep anyone from seeing us!”

 

“He can sense the Dragon’s Pulse,” Mei said. “He probably followed Greed’s rancid qi down to the arena.”

 

“Would everyone stop calling my qi rancid? It’s getting annoying.”

 

“I really don’t feel like dealing with Wu now. Lan Fan, do you have a way we can sneak out of here without Wu seeing us?”

 

“Of course, You—Ling. I have a flash bomb here. As soon as we step outside the circle, I’ll set it off, and we can make a dash for the exit.”

 

Greed wondered where the _hell_ she kept a flash bomb, because he didn’t think she had any pockets in her training gear. He didn’t get to ask, because Ling was already nodding.

 

“All right, we’ll—“

 

“Hey, hang on, kid. I can’t do the whole Dragon’s Pulse, qi sensing shit. How the hell am I supposed to run while blind?”

 

Ling grabbed his hand. “Follow me. Ready, Lan Fan?”

 

She nodded, but she was still glaring at Greed.

 

_What the hell did I do to make her so mad?_

 

“Then . . . three  . . . two . . . one . . . GO!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess these aren't the most romantic parts to be uploaded near Valentine's Day, but I hope everyone liked them, nonetheless.
> 
> Have a fantastic Valentine's Day!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! So, I just have to say a huge thanks to everyone. I got over 100 reviews on the story. I can't believe it . . . I never thought that when I started writing this that people would like it so much.
> 
> Thank you again. In honour of the 100 review mark, I'm uploading 3 chapters for you to enjoy!

Ling let out a whoop, as he entered the parlour. He unbuckled his sword, tossed it on the table and flopped down onto the daybed. He watched as Greed took a seat on the table. Lan Fan, of course, was standing at attention by the door.

 

“We made it!”

 

“Avoiding your advisors is hardly appropriate behaviour,” Lan Fan snapped.

 

Ling looked at her in shock. Although her face was blank, her eyes were blazing.

 

“Give the kid a break, Toots. And besides, Wu’s a pain in the ass.”

 

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, _Homunculus_.”

 

Greed’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open. He glanced at Ling, who gave him a helpless look.

 

She hadn’t called Greed that in ages . . .

 

“What the hell, Toots?” he demanded.

 

Lan Fan ignored him. She bowed to Ling.

 

“May I be excused, Your Majesty.”

 

From her cold tone, Ling decided that this was _not_ the time to insist she call him by his first name.

 

“Of course, Lan Fan.”

 

Lan Fan straightened, and started towards the adjoining door. Greed leapt to his feet and raced after her.

 

“Hold on a second, Toots.”

 

Greed grabbed her wrist. Lan Fan blurred into motion, and Ling winced as she slammed Greed into the floor. She flipped him over, so that he was face down and smashed his head into the ground. He groaned, and she pinned him with her knees, grabbed his hair and yanked his head upwards.  
“The hell, Toots, you broke my—”

 

He stopped as he realised that her kunai was digging into his throat. Ling hadn’t even seen her draw it.

 

“Tell me, Homunculus,” she hissed. “Do you think I’m _weak?_ ”

 

“ _What the hell?_ I saw you rip Gluttony apart and fight against Pride. Why the hell would I think that?”

 

“Then, why won’t you fight me?”

 

“Erm . . .”

 

Ling tried to stop himself, he really did. But, the panicked, awkward look on Greed’s face . . . Ling’s  snickers soon turned into full-blown laughter.  Tears rolled down his face and he pounded his fist on the daybed. Lan Fan and Greed stared at him. Well, Lan Fan stared. Greed was glaring at him, as the blood dripped down Greed’s face.

 

“Shut up, you damn pissant.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Ling wheezed,  “I’m sorry.”

 

“I don’t see what’s so funny.”

 

Greed sighed. “I’ll show you why I don’t fight women if you’ll just let me up, Toots.”

 

Lan Fan gave him a wary look, but released him. Greed got to his feet, and wiped the blood from his face.  Then, he gave Lan Fan a look, and pointed to his bulging groin. Lan Fan’s eyes widened, and she immediately looked away, going blood-red in the face.

 

“That’s why I don’t fight women, Toots. I find women who can kick my ass incredibly fucking sexy, and when they do beat the crap out of me . . . I get all excited, but can’t get any release. It’s no fun, so I don’t fight women. Trust me, it’s nothing to do with you being weak.”

 

“But . . . how can you like being hurt when you . . .”

 

“Get down and dirty? Toots, it’s the best thing.” His eyes slid half-closed and he licked his lips. “The very best thing.”

 

“Trust me, Lan Fan, he really does like it. He shared his fantasies with me often enough when we were in the same body.”

 

Greed gave him a look. “Kid, I’m telling you there’s nothing sexier than a powerful woman grabbing control and taking what she wants. And to have her biting at you, scratching you, bruising you . . . ” He made a noise of pleasure that sent arousal spiking through Ling. “It’s fucking fantastic.”

 

“In _your_ opinion.”

 

“I’m telling you, Ling. You’d love it too.”

 

“Why do you say that?” Lan Fan asked.

 

She was still avoiding looking at Greed’s fading arousal, but she seemed much less angry.

 

“Well, Ling’s the Emperor, right? So everyone’s always bowing and scraping to him. And he always has to be in control and be dominant, so I’m guessing that giving up control for a while might be a relief . . . and a big turn on for him.”

 

Ling laughed. “Think whatever you like, Greed.”

 

Greed shrugged, and then turned back to Lan Fan. She jumped a little as he closed the gap between them.  He ran a fingertip along her automail arm, right where the retractable blade was nestled.

 

“Though, Toots, I gotta ask you a favour. When things do get heated between us, you mind repeating the move you just did on me? And maybe mix in some biting or scratching . . . or maybe cut me with this?”

 

“I doubt that Lan Fan would—“

 

“Okay.”

 

“ _What?”_ Ling asked, incredulously.

 

“You serious, Toots?”

 

Lan Fan was blushing hard, but her eyes were dancing. “It sounds . . . interesting. I-I’d like t-to try.”

 

Greed whooped, and gave her his best razor grin. Ling shook his head slowly. How could they both want something like _that?_

 

Lan Fan took a deep breath. “Is that the only reason you don’t fight women?”

 

“Well, that, and the fact that I’m actually a gentleman.”

 

Both Lan Fan and Ling snorted, and Greed grinned.

 

“So, are you going to beat me up again?”

 

 “No. Forgive me?”

 

“Always.”

 

“Though Lan Fan, that was a bit of an over-reaction. If you keep doing that, I might just start calling you ‘Edward Elric’, ” Ling teased.

 

“I’m nothing like him!” She spun around to glare at Ling.

 

“I don’t know, Toots” Greed said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You get the same damn look in your eye when you’re determined to do something.”

 

She glared at him, but the corners of her mouth were twitching. Greed took the opportunity to kiss her there.

 

“Hey,” Ling said. “Don’t keep Lan Fan all to yourself, you greedy bastard.”

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get a large helping of kisses from both her and me tonight, hey, Toots?”

 

Ling never found out what Lan Fan’s answer would have been, because a horrified voice cut through the room: “ _Your Majesty!”_

 

Lan Fan immediately pulled away from Greed and stood at attention. Greed bared his teeth, and Ling glared at the intruder as well. It was Wu, who was panting hard, and staring at them with wide eyes. His silk robes were dishevelled, and his moustache was even more pointy than usual.

 

He bowed low to Ling. “ _Your Majesty,”_ he said in Xingese. “ _Please tell me I misheard. Tell me you aren’t  . . . fornicating with this common vermin and foreign dog.”_

 

_“At least this foreign dog has manners. Don’t you know that you’re supposed to knock before entering a room?”_ Greed snarled. “ _And as for the foreign dog comment,  I’ll let it slide,  but calling one of my things vermin . . .”_

 

Ling suddenly noticed that Greed had pulled his Ultimate Shield over his fists. Ling leapt to his feet, before Greed could repaint his chambers with Wu’s blood.

 

“Wu, I wish to speak to you in private. Lan Fan, Greed, please leave us.”

 

“Like, hell I’m—“

 

Lan Fan bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

She grabbed Greed’s wrist, and twisted it into a lock. She then marched him towards the adjoining door, ignoring his complaints. Once they were gone, Ling once again shut the screen door and turned to face his advisor. He knew he didn’t look the part of an Emperor—he was bare-chested, sweaty and covered in dirt—but he drew on his Emperor façade and fixed Wu with a penetrating look.

 

“Why do you disapprove of my choice in companions?” Ling asked, striving to keep his voice level.

 

His hand, however, had a white-knuckled grip on his sword hilt. He hadn’t realised he’d grabbed it. Wu shot a wary glance at the sword before continuing.

 

“Your Majesty, I’m sure that they are both talented in the ways of _pleasure_ , but there are many other concubines that are even more skilled. There’s no need to soil yourself with a commoner or an Amestrian. We can find someone more suitable. And then I can show you the proper way to conduct this type of situation.”

 

“Situation?”

 

“Yes. You should really confine your concubines to a certain section of the Imperial Palace, and punish them if they leave it. It reminds them that they are there for your pleasure, and nothing else. Additionally, you should then send to each of the Clans requesting that they send their eldest daughters to be your bride. If you wish to have concubines, you need to ensure that you have legitimate heirs with all the brides, so that the issue of succession isn’t complicated by illegitimate heirs.”

 

“Complicated by illegitimate heirs? Wu, the issue of succession was a mess before I abolished the fifty wives marriage system. Siblings tried to kill siblings, the Clans were at war, and everyone tried to gain favour with the Emperor. I won’t go back to that system.”

 

Wu went pale, and his face warped with disdain. “Your Majesty wishes to court those two . . . people?”

 

The way he said people made Ling think he wanted to say a much more insulting word.

 

“I—”

 

_Court them_? Ling hadn’t actually thought that far ahead. He was quite content the way he was with them. But . . . formally initiating a courtship would declare his intentions to the entire world. It would force everyone to treat Greed and Lan Fan with respect—at least, when they were in The Emperor’s presence. And eventually, courtships would lead to betrothals and marriage and—now he _knew_ he was getting ahead of himself.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

“Your Majesty. I must protest this. Your father would never court two people so unworthy of your regard.”

 

“You know nothing of their worth, Wu. I owe them everything—my life, my throne, my country. They sacrificed everything to save me. So, don’t ever tell me that they’re unworthy. Now, go. You’re dismissed.”

 

Wu’s mouth worked for a moment, before he bowed to Ling—more shallowly than he should have. Then, he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the screen door shut behind him. Ling steepled his fingers as he thought.

 

Wu may be annoying. .. . but this idea of courtship was brilliant.


	25. Chapter 25

Ling stood on the roof, and stared sightlessly down at the Imperial Palace. The view from the roof usually calmed him. From here, he could see into each of the beautiful courtyards, and see the dozens of blossoming trees. The water features glinted gold  and the rose tinted light of the rising sun added a magical dusting to the carved walls and roofs. But he was preoccupied. He was trying to plan how exactly he was going to initiate the courtship ritual with Greed and Lan Fan. Obviously, he would have to approach their families—a challenge all on its own—but, as Emperor, he would need to publicly present his suit to them.

 

_And that’s going to embarrass Lan Fan to no end._

 

Suddenly he stiffened as he sensed another presence on the rooftop. A presence with a very familiar qi. He turned and smiled at Lan Fan as she approached him, wearing her full uniform as needed. He stretched his qi senses again, and found that Greed’s was still in the rooms below them. Probably working on his book.

 

“Your Majesty, the Council meeting will start soon.”

 

“Lan Fan . . .”

 

“I’m acting as your guard, Your Majesty. It’s appropriate for the situation.”

 

Ling didn’t bother to pursue the argument he was sure to loose, and sighed.

 

“Do I really have to go to the Council meeting?”

 

“You wanted to be Emperor.”

 

“I didn’t realise I’d have to do all this boring stuff!”

 

“The Representatives from all the Clans are awaiting your presence, so you can listen to their petitions, and discuss any problems that have arisen.”

 

“It’s not going to be anything important. Zuko Long is just going to be muttering about how the Zhao Clan insulted his Clan’s honour. And, the Sato Clan is probably just going to approach me to send their representative to Amestris to learn automail engineering--again.”

 

“I thought you wanted to bring automail to Xing?”

 

“I do! But, when the real motive is for the Sato Representative to rekindle her romance with an Ishvallan Alchemist named Korra, I wonder exactly how much automail engineering will come back to Xing.”

 

Lan Fan tilted her head. “It might strengthen the relations we have with Ishval, though.”

 

“Good point.”

 

Ling stood up, and started to follow Lan Fan off the roof, when she suddenly cocked her head. Ling immediately tensed. Lan Fan’s senses were phenomenal, so when she heard or saw something, it was usually a good idea to pay attention. Ling strained his own senses until he heard them. Voices coming from the courtyard below them.

 

“Did you hear the news?”

 

“News about what?”

 

“The Emperor!”

 

“You shouldn’t gossip about the Emperor!”

 

“It’s not gossip if everyone knows.”

 

“ . . . Well?”

 

“Well,  what?”

 

“Aren’t you going to tell me?”

 

“Tell you what? You were the one who didn’t want to gossip.”

 

“Just tell me!”

 

“It looks like we were right about his guard being his whore.” Ling clenched his jaw at the word. “One of the advisors walked in on them in an _intimate_ moment.”

 

“How intimate?”

 

"I don’t know, but I bet there were very little clothes involved.”

 

There was a snort of laughter. “I knew that’s why she got her position.”

 

_You bastards!_

 

Ling whirled around and rushed to the edge of the rooftop. Suddenly, something grabbed his wrist and a moment later, he was flying through the air. He slammed into the tiles. Then, his wrist was twisted hard, and the pain made him gasp. Lan Fan’s face floated over him. He fought to get up, and another sharp movement of her hand send pain slicing up his arm.

 

“Lan Fan, let me go.”

 

He felt her grip weaken for a split second, before she resumed the hold.

 

“Your Majesty, you can’t demean yourself by getting involved in this.”

 

“Demean myself? Cut the crap! They’re insulting you!”

 

She pushed her mask back and glared at him, tightening her grip as she did so.  Something clicked inside Ling’s brain.

 

He was at her mercy. Completely and utterly in her power. No one would hear him if he started shouting. She could break his wrist, bite his neck, kiss him, remove his clothes . . . whatever she wanted to do. A rush of exhilaration went through him. It was only made worse by the fact that she suddenly lunged forward and kissed him hard on the mouth. His head banged against the tiles, and the sparks of pain made him _burn_ for her. She pulled away, and Ling had to bite down on his pleas for her to continue being rough with him.

 

“L-ling? Please let me sort this out.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Immediately, she released him, and disappeared over the edge of the roof. Ling forced himself into a seated position and rubbed his wrist, feeling a little dazed.

 

_Was that what Greed was talking about?_

 

He didn’t have time to think further, since he clearly heard Lan Fan’s voice coming from the courtyard. He scrambled to the edge of the roof, and dropped nimbly down onto his balcony. From there, he leant over and saw Lan Fan standing in front of a group of Palace Guards.

 

“So, what’s going on here, hey kid?”

 

Ling didn’t blink as Greed came to join him at the balcony. The homunculus frowned as he took in the scene in the courtyard.

 

“Lan Fan was insulted by those Palace Guards. She told me to let her handle the situation.”

 

“Ah.”

 

The two of them leant over the railing as Lan Fan sized up the other guards.

 

“Do you really think I’m unfit for the position of Imperial Guard?” her voice showed that this was a very dangerous opinion to have.

 

One of the guards—Ling thought he was either incredibly brave or very stupid—said “Yes. It’s obvious that you only have the position because you’re his whore.”

 

“ _Whore?”_ Greed snarled. “They called her a whore?”

 

“I should imprison them for that.”

 

“Screw the jail.” Greed sheathed his hands in his Ultimate Shield and flexed his clawed fingers. “Just give me five minutes alone with them.”

 

“Not alone. I think I’d like to get my sword dirty as well.”

 

Ling exchanged a feral grin with Greed, before Lan Fan’s voice brought his attention back to the courtyard.

 

“Then,” Lan Fan said. “I challenge whoever thinks that to a duel, of unarmed combat. The victor can have the position of Imperial Guard.”

 

Ling’s eyes bugged and Greed laughed. But, below them, the guards merely shifted uneasily.

 

“It won’t be unarmed combat. You have a built-in weapon with your metal arm,” one of the guards said.

 

“It’ll be unarmed combat. On that you have my word.”

 

The guards looked at each other, and then slowly nodded.

 

“Very well. We’ll see you tomorrow in the training arena.”

 

Lan Fan nodded, and  the guards walked off. Ling watched them walk back into the Imperial Palace. When he looked back at where Lan Fan had been, she’d disappeared. Ling couldn’t find her with his eyes, but he tracked her movements through her qi. So, he wasn’t surprised when she suddenly appeared on the balcony next to him. Greed, however, jumped.

 

“Toots, I told you not to do that!”

 

“Sorry.”

 

Ling raised an eyebrow at her. “So, unarmed combat, huh?”

 

“Yes. I’ve beaten them once before. I think they need a reminder of why I’m the Imperial Guard.”

 

Greed grinned and clapped her on the shoulder. “That should be entertaining to watch, Toots. Now, let’s go get some breakfast before the Imperial dumbass collapses again.”

 

“That only happened once!”

 

“Greed’s right though. You need to eat.”

 

Ling threw up his hands. “When will you two stop babying me?”

 

“How about when you start looking after yourself, kid?”

 

Greed turned to go inside, when Ling cleared his throat.

 

“Greed, I-I think you might be right a-about the whole “powerful woman” taking charge thing.” Ling could feel his face heating, but he continued speaking. “I-I’d like to try it, if Lan Fan wants too.”

 

Lan Fan blinked at him, twice, before turning red. “I’d like to try it with you. But . . . why did you change your mind?”

 

“You were rough with me on the roof a few minutes ago, and—”

 

“If I hurt you, I’m so sorry!”

 

“No, no  . . .  I, well, I liked it. A lot.”

 

Greed stared at them both. “Okay, what the fuck did I miss, you little pissant?! You two better not have started the fun without me!”


	26. Chapter 26

Ling tried not to fidget with the sleeves of his changshan. It would be unfitting for an Emperor to seem worried. Except, damnit, he _was_ worried. Not that Lan Fan would lose . . . but maybe one of her opponents would get in a lucky shot? Her arm was still recovering from the wound she’d gotten on her run. Maybe the wound would reopen? Maybe—

 

“Here,” Mei thrust a glass of iced tea into his hands. “It’s one of the Jasmine Dragon’s best blends. You look like you need it.”

 

“Thanks, Mei.”

 

He took a sip, and looked around the arena. A number of nobles had come to see the match. Many of them had, like Ling, brought their own silk pavilions for servants to set up so that they’d be safe from the sun. The match would take place when the sun was high and bright, much to the dissatisfaction of the nobility. Servants had smoothed out the sand in the arena, and reshaped the rope so that it was a perfect circle. The servants also went from pavilion to pavilion, handing out iced tea and water to the nobility. Ling had told the servants, though, to make sure that they all had something to drink as well—the last thing he wanted was one of his servants becoming dehydrated in this weather.

 

Inside his pavilion, Ling was seated on a throne-like chair—complete with gold inlay in the ornate wooden carvings—and around him, on plush seats were Greed, Mei, Al,  Ed and Winry. Wu had also insinuated himself into the pavilion, and kept shooting disapproving glances at Greed. Greed made the situation worse, by leaning over and squeezing Ling’s bicep, or running his hands along Ling’s thighs. The touches were very distracting, but Ling didn’t want to tell Greed to stop—partially because he liked the feel of Greed’s hands on his body, and partially because the outraged look on Wu’s face was absolutely hilarious

 

It had taken Ling and Lan Fan ages to convince Greed that he hadn’t missed out on anything, and that they hadn’t gone further than kissing. Ling had to explain exactly what happened on the rooftop three times before the homunculus had believed him. In the end, though, the three of them had ended up making a pact that, when they did decide to go further, they would do it all together. In Greed’s words “either all of us end up getting down and dirty, or none of us do.” Although, Ling wondered exactly how three people could—

 

A gong rang out. Suddenly, the murmuring crowd fell silent, and Ling moved his eyes to the ring. Lan Fan was striding across the arena towards him. She was wearing her mask, and her hair was in her usual bun.  She was barefoot, and wearing black trousers and a loose shirt—her uniform had built in weaponry, and thus had been banned from the fight. Despite the heat of the day, there was a long overcoat draped over her shoulders.  She reached the front of Ling’s pavilion and sank to one knee before him.

 

“Your Majesty, I’ve been your bodyguard for years, and I have the position of Imperial Guard. I wish to prove to you now that you haven’t made a mistake in entrusting me with the responsibility for your safety. If anyone can beat me in unarmed combat today, then I will relinquish the position to them.”

 

Ling steepled his fingers, and felt his stomach turn sour.Then, she glaced up at him. And he saw it. The look . . . how had Greed described it? Oh yeah, the _Lan Fan_ _I’m going to do this so, help me or get the fuck out my way_ look.

 

He took a deep breath,  and managed to force out the words.

 

“If that’s what you want, I won’t interfere.”

 

She nodded, and undid her mask’s ties with one hand. She removed it and placed it at Ling’s feet.

 

“I expect you to reclaim that,” he murmured in a voice too low for anyone else to hear.

 

“Of course,” she replied, her voice equally soft.

 

She stood, bowed deeply to the pavilion and then walked towards the arena. As she reached the edge of the ring, she shrugged off the coat. Ling’s eyes widened, and he had to stop himself rushing into the arena and forcibly dragging Lan Fan to safety.

 

She was missing her arm. _Her automail arm was missing._

“What the fuck is she doing?”

 

“Has she lost it?”

 

It was hard to tell who was angrier: Ed or Greed. Al, Mei and Winry just sat there with open mouths.

 

“She had no choice” Ling said between gritted teeth. “She was equipped with weaponised automail, and this is _unarmed_ combat.”

 

“So, those bastards will fight her like this?” Ed demanded.

 

“Yes.”

 

Even Wu looked startled as her opponents filtered into the ring—thirteen in total—but he then gave Ling a smug smile.

 

“I’m very glad that Your Majesty decided to allow this contest. Now, you can finally find an Imperial Guard worthy of that position.”

 

Ling smirked, Ed snickered, and Greed—he laughed outright.

 

“Your head’s in your ass if you think any of these bastards are gonna beat Lan Fan.”

 

Wu couldn’t respond to Greed’s rude comment because Jenrya Wong was walking into the middle of the ring to start the match—he’d been picked because he represented one of the more neutral clans. And, he had a remarkable sense of fairplay. He looked from Lan Fan’s calm expression, to the slightly nervous looks on the faces of her opponents.

 

“The objective of the match is to either incapacitate your opponent, or to force them out of the circle. Weapons are utterly prohibited—anyone found using weapons will be disqualified.”

 

Lan Fan nodded, and her opponents murmured in Xingese.

 

They bowed to each other and Jenrya left the circle. Lan Fan fell into a guard position, her eyes half closed—and Ling knew she was monitoring the qi around her.

 

For several tense seconds they stood there—then one of the guards charged straight at Lan Fan. She waited until the last possible moment to sidestep his attack, grabbing his wrist and sending him flipping out of the circle. Then, she blurred into motion, weaving in and out of the guards. Some of them tried to attack back, while others barely managed to block her attacks. Ling winced as two of them went down—one from a front kick to the chest that broke ribs, and the other from a jab to the throat. Lan Fan stayed in the middle of the mess of guards, using her agility to avoid the blows being directed at her. Ling smiled grimly. It was a good strategy. Wrath had done it to him and Greed on the Promised Day, when Fu—

 

Ling yanked his thoughts away from that memory, and refocused on the fight. The guards were bunching, and unused to fighting in such a large group. Most of their attacks hit each other, rather than Lan Fan.

 

Suddenly, one of the guards managed to grab her wrist. She reacted by ramming her knee into his sterum, and—as he released her wrist a fraction, she broke his hold and brought her elbow crashing down on the back of his neck. He fell in a heap, moaning slightly. Another guard tried to hit her with a series of punches, but she blocked them each as easily as breathing. She then ducked under his one hammer-fist strike, and jabbed him in the throat. Two other opponents rose up to replace him, and they let loose a series of attacks that forced her back, until she was right at the edge of the ring. Ling felt his breath catch, as one of them aimed a punch at her solar plexus. She threw him easily out the ring, followed by his friend and the two other guards that tried to land hits on her.

 

Ling laughed out loud. The others stared at him.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

“The throw she just used. The only known counter for it that I know is to grab your opponent’s _left arm_.”

 

Ed snickered and Greed roared with laughter. Even Mei couldn’t stop her giggles.

 

“Oh, isn’t our girl brilliant?”  Greed said to Ling.

 

_Our girl._ The words sent a heady rush of emotion through him, and Ling realised he was grinning as widely as Greed was.

 

There were only four guards left in the arena. They circled around her, watching for an opening. She never gave them a chance. As soon as one twitched towards her, she leapt into the air. She flipped lightly, and brought her foot crashing down into the man’s face. She used him as a springboard to jump over the other guard and grab the back of his neck. Using a combination of her momentum and technique, she threw him out the circle, just like she’d done with Gluttony on the night before the Promised Day. She planted both feet on the ground, and the man whose nose she’d broken grabbed her from behind. She cracked her head back, at the same time she slammed her heel down on his instep. Ling winced as he heard bones break. She wrenched herself out of his grip and clouted him on the head. Another guard charged at her, but she set him flying with a perfect roundhouse kick. The last man shifted nervously from foot to foot. He was desperate—and that made him dangerous.

 

He attacked with impressive speed, forcing Lan Fan to dance out of his reach. But, then he tried to grab her wrist in a hold, and she let out an angry snarl. A flick of her wrist reversed the hold, and so he was suddenly the one crying out in agony as his wrist snapped. He crumpled, and she straightened. She turned to Ling and bowed. She waited in the circle, as Jenrya Wong approached. His eyes scanned her opponents, but none of them seemed able to continue the fight. Ling could have sworn that Jenrya was fighting not to smile.

 

_Perhaps he wasn’t as neutral as he claimed to be._

 

“I declare Lan Fan of the Yao Clan the victor. She retains the position of Imperial Guard. May she forever protect His Majesty as he reigns.”

 

Jenrya bowed to Lan Fan—and Ling was pleased to see that the bow was far more respectful than it had been before.

 

Jenrya left the arena, and Lan Fan approached Ling’s pavilion. Once she was directly in front of them, she bowed. Ling noticed she was red in the face, and there were droplets of sweat running down her forehead. He restrained himself from running over and kissing her senseless.

 

“I hope that this small demonstration of my skill pleased Your Majesty?”

 

“It pleased me greatly,” Ling smiled widely. “You’ve once again proven yourself very worthy of your position and my regard.”

 

He guessed that she would have blushed, if she hadn’t already been red in the face.

 

“I would like to place your mask on you.”

 

“If that is what your Majesty wishes.”

 

Lan Fan knelt down and bowed her head respectfully. One of the servants ran forward, scooped up the mask and placed it reverently in Ling’s hands. Ling stood up, and went over to where she knelt. He handed her the mask, and she placed it on her face. He walked behind her, gently took the two silk ties and bound them together. As he worked, his fingers brushed her skin, and she quivered in response.

Ling took a deep breath, and clamped down on his desire, before returning to his seat.

 

“You’re dismissed. This match is at an end.”

 

Lan Fan rose, bowed again, and disappeared out of the arena. Ling leaned back in his chair, and watched as the alkahestrists swarmed over the arena, mending broken bones, and healing scrapes and bruises.

 

“So, Wu,” Greed said with a sly smirk, “I think we found an Imperial Guard worthy of the Emperor, don’t you?”

 

“It seems her skills are . . . formidable,” Wu said through clenched teeth.

 

“They always have been,” Ling said.

 

Wu opened his mouth to respond, and Al cut him off.

 

“Brother,  did you see where Winry went?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, so I hoped everyone enjoyed this.
> 
> A bit of an explanation for Greed's thoughts. I am convinced that Greed is a masochist because he looked far, far too happy when Izumi kicked him in the face. Therefore, the reason why he doesn't fight women is because he likes getting the kak beat out of him (it happens with guys too, but to a lesser extent.) I also figured that this rubbed off on Ling, though he doesn't want to admit it.
> 
> I figured that Lan Fan and Ling, having always had a superior, subordinate relationship would get a kick out of turning it on it's head--perhaps even by mixing in a little bondage (Greed is keen for that as well).
> 
> As for courtship, the way things work in Xing is courtship, then betrothal, then marriage. So it's a big step for Ling to take, but not as big as getting engaged. 
> 
> Also, I hope everyone liked Lan Fan kicking ass in literally unarmed combat.
> 
> Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I managed to finish editing the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!

Lan Fan breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the shower. She’d done it. She’d finally silenced all those who dared question her ability to protect the Emperor. She took some soap and scrubbed at her skin, feeling the layers of sand and dirt slide away. Her automail port was still throbbing, but the water made it feel a lot better. She probably should have gone to Winry to get the automail  removed—but she knew Winry would never have agreed to it. And, she had to fight without her automail. To fight as the underdog. It was the only way the Xingese Court would ever see her true skill.

 

She shut off the water, and stepped out, using one of the towels to dry herself off, especially the damp area where the metal connected to her flesh. The cloakroom was surprisingly empty—which was how Lan Fan liked it. Usually, she’d have to fight with the other Palace Guards to use one of the wooden benches scattered about, or one of the wooden trunks that were lined up against the stone walls. She’d kept her clothes—and her automail arm—locked in one of the trunks. She went over, unlocked the trunk and quickly changed into her fresh clothing. She’d just finished pulling on a loose shirt when the door burst open.

 

“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING DETACHING YOUR AUTOMAIL!” Winry yelled as she entered the room.

 

“I had no choice, I—”

 

“ _NO CHOICE?!_ “ Winry waved her wrench at Lan Fan, who wondered if she was going to get hit in the head. “YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU WALKED INTO THE ARENA!”

 

Suddenly, Winry burst into tears, and Lan Fan gaped at her. Although Winry was an extrovert, she was never _this_ emotional. Lan Fan swallowed hard, and bowed, wishing that she had both her arms so that she could perform the proper gesture of supplication.

 

“I’m very sorry for worrying you.”

 

“I-it’s okay,” Winry sniffed, and wiped at her eyes. “W-would you like me to reattach your automail?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

“Okay, where is it?”

 

Lan Fan pointed to the trunk, and Winry immediately went over to look inside. Lan Fan frowned at her and concentrated. There was something off about Winry. Lan Fan couldn’t see any injuries, and Winry didn’t seem ill, but there was something strange about Winry’s qi . . . almost as if there was more than one source of qi. But, that wasn’t possible unless. . .

 

"You’re pregnant!” Lan Fan exclaimed.

 

Winry’s  whirled around, Lan Fan’s automail clutched to her chest. Her eyes were round. “How did you know?”

 

“I can sense the baby’s qi . . . “

 

“Please, please, don’t say anything! I haven’t even told Ed yet.”

 

Lan Fan bowed again. “I give you my word I won’t say anything.”

 

“Thanks,” Winry gave a grateful smile,  “Now, is there somewhere we can go so I can reattach this?”

 

Lan Fan pointed to a door opposite. “Over there are the rooms were they give some of the Palace Guards massages if they’ve been working too hard.”

 

“Perfect.”

 

Winry grabbed Lan Fan’s hand, and tugged her into the room. Like the rest of the cloakrooms, it was very plain, with stone walls, and tiled floors. The only décor was a shelf with various massage oils and towels lined up on it, and several wooden benches, high enough off the floor for the masseurs to easily reach their patients. Winry made Lan Fan lie down on one of the benches.

 

“Just hang on a second while I go fetch my tools, all right?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Winry disappeared out the door, and Lan Fan sensed her moving away. Lan Fan shifted on the bench, and focused on steadying her breathing. Inhale for three counts. Exhale for three counts. Inhale. Exhale. It was a simple meditative exercise, but it was one that always left her feeling rejuvenated. She hadn’t done it in ages.

 

_Maybe I should have mediated more while I was battling exhaustion when Ling wasn’t sleeping?_

 

 “I’m back!” Winry burst into the room, carrying a toolbox that was bigger than she was. She placed it down, pulled up a stool alongside Lan Fan’s bench, before grabbing the automail and sitting down.  Winry peered at the arm, a frown on her face.

 

“Well, you didn’t damage the connections, so that’s something. It shouldn’t be too hard to reattach it.”

 

“Good.”

 

“I just want to give it a quick tune up, first.”

 

“No problem.”

 

Lan Fan propped herself up so she could watch Winry work. She always found it fascinating. Winry placed the arm in her lap, and then drew out various things from the tool-box: screws, screwdrivers, wrenches, ratchets, and a few bolts. She started by tightening the bolts in the arm and replacing a few of the screws. She inspected the retractable blade, and made sure it was firmly fixed. She then checked the joints, oiling them where needed, and finished off by wiping it down so that the automail gleamed.

 

“There we go. All done. You ready?”

 

Lan Fan nodded. Winry slipped the arm into the socket, and got ready to attach it.

 

Then, someone rapped on the screen door. “Hello? Is anyone in here?”

 

“Yes, Ling. I’m here with Lan Fan. You can come in, if you want. There’s no one else in here.”

 

The screen door slid open, and Ling slipped in, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was entering a female-only space. Lan Fan tried to get up to bow, but Ling waved her down.

 

“Winry, Ed’s looking for you. He’s going berserk because he can’t find you. Come to think of it, no one could find you . . . I couldn’t even sense your qi properly. It feels strange for some reason.”

 

Winry gulped. “Oh really? How?”

 

 “Your qi tells me that I’ll be an Uncle early!”

 

Ling gave a huge smile. He swooped forward, grabbed Winry around the waist and spun her around. She shrieked as her tools went flying.

 

“Put me down, you moron! I need to reattach Lan Fan’s automail!”

 

“Of course!” Ling set her down easily. “But you have to let me throw you a party so you can announce it to everyone. I’m not taking no for an answer. I can already imagine the feast. Dumplings, spicy pork, chicken corn soup, a stir fry of bamboo, noodles and other vegetables. . .”

 

Lan Fan hid a smile as she saw Ling’s mouth begin to water.

 

“Fine. But, you must let me tell Ed first. And, what was that about you being an Uncle?”

 

“It’s quite simple, really. You’re married to Ed, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“And Ed and Al are brothers. So, whoever Al marries would become Ed’s sister-in-law. The way things are going, Mei is going to be that woman. And since I’m Mei’s older half-brother, Ed and I will be brother-in-laws.”

 

Winry giggled. “Can you imagine Ed’s face when he finds out you two will be related?”

 

Ling’s smile widened. “I can’t wait to see it.”

 

“All right. Now, enough chit-chat.” Winry placed her tools on Lan Fan’s automail port. “Brace yourself. I see you have a bit of an injury here, so this will hurt more than it usually does.”

 

Lan Fan nodded and took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt a calloused hand slip inside her flesh one.

 

“Squeeze as hard as you need to,” Ling said, quietly.

 

Lan Fan nodded, and Winry began counting down.

 

“Three  . . . two . . . one.”

 

The nerves connected.

 

Lan Fan screamed as her vision went white and her back arched off the table. She suddenly fell back, gasping, and winced as she tried to sit up.

 

“Don’t try to move just yet,” Winry said gently. “Give the nerves some time to settle.”

 

Lan Fan sighed and glanced over at Ling. His head was bowed over her hand, and she felt droplets splattering against her skin.  

 

_Why is he crying?_

 

“Ling, are you—”

 

“Lan Fan, I’m sorry. So uselessly, fucking sorry.”

 

Then she realised. _Her automail._ Ling had never seen her reattach her automail before.

 

“Ling,” she said with enough firmness to make him look at her. She held up her automail hand and flexed it, ignoring the way the movement hurt. “This was my choice. I cut off my arm. Not you.”

 

“You wouldn’t have had to if I hadn’t made the offer to help Ed catch a homunculus. I—“

 

“It was still my choice.”

 

Ling opened his mouth to argue, when Lan Fan suddenly felt it. A blazing, rancid mass of qi hurtling towards them. She launched herself at Ling and Winry, knocking them over to relative safety behind the bench, before the door exploded. Shards of wood flew in all directions. A monster stood at the doorway. It was human shaped, with dark-grey skin and claw-tipped fingers. There were huge fangs in its mouth, and its wine-coloured eyes were blazing.

 

Lan Fan recognised it instantly—and so did Ling.

 

“Greed!” Ling shouted, relaxing from the protective posture he’d taken in front of Winry, “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“I heard Toots scream. I thought you were in danger.” The homunculus looked around as he spoke.

 

“So, you decided to break down my door?”

 

“I’m fine, Greed,” Lan Fan interjected before they could start bickering. “Winry was just reattaching my automail.”

 

Winry was staring at Greed with wide eyes. “T-That’s _Greed?_ ”

 

Greed chuckled. “Sure is, Peaches. This is what I look like with my Ultimate Shield pulled up all the way. But, it obscures my handsome face, so I try not to wear it that much.”

 

The Ultimate Shield may have obscured Greed’s face, but it only accentuated the definition in his chest. Lan Fan was having a hard time looking away.

 

Greed winked at her. “Like what you see, Toots?”

 

Lan Fan blinked, and blushed. “You should be more careful, Greed.”

 

“Yeah, did you really have to break down my door?”

 

Greed glanced awkwardly at the gaping hole where the door had once been. “Yeah. Sorry about that.” He dismissed his Ultimate Shield and shrugged.

 

“And besides,” Ling continued, “you could have hurt the baby.”

 

Greed frowned. “Baby? What the hell are you talking about?”

 

Ling jerked his thumb at a red-faced Winry. “Ed’s future baby.”

 

Greed’s face split into his toothiest grin. “So the Runt managed to put a bun in the oven, huh? Congratulations, Peaches.” He laughed. “Looks like I’m going to be an Uncle.”

 

“Why is everyone saying that?”

 

“It’s true, Peaches. My old man was Van Hohenheim’s blood brother; so somehow, Ed, Al and I are related.”

 

Then, Greed crouched down and ran his fingers lightly over Winry’s stomach—a gesture which sent a dark spark of jealousy shooting through Lan Fan.

 

“So, in here is my future niece or nephew.”

 

Winry stepped away from Greed. “Please, don’t say anything to Ed. He’s going to be so mad I didn’t tell him first.”

 

“And miss out on this chance to tease the Runt? No way!”

 

Winry groaned and buried her face in her hands, as Ling and Greed started laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we got to see the aftermath of the fight for Lan Fan. And, the how Ling reacts to her automail being attached.
> 
> And, princess_j3ss was absolutely right. Winry is pregnant! I honestly couldn't believe you picked up on the hint . . . I was so tempted to say something! 
> 
> I hope everyone go a bit of a laugh over Greed's over-reaction to Lan Fan and Ling being "in danger."
> 
> Have a great week.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, This week was very stressful for me, but I managed to finish this short chapter. Hope everyone enjoys!

It was always quiet here. There was only the smallest creak from the branches of the cherry tree, as the wind brushed past. The pond nearby rippled, breaking the perfect blue mirror into hundreds of pieces. The smell of sandalwood and other incense filled his nose. Ling took a deep breath, placed his palms together and bowed before the altar.

 

“I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last visit, Fu. It’s been pretty busy, since Greed returned. We aren’t doing too badly, though. Trade agreements between Ishval, and Amestris are being enacted, and the Clans have begun supporting my education policies—though not without lots of complaining.  But, that’s not why I came here.”

 

He glanced at the portrait. Somehow, the portrait had managed to capture the typical look Fu always had when he looked at Ling: part sternness, part respect and part fondness.

 

Ling bowed his head respectfully. “I came here today, to ask your permission to court your granddaughter, and to one day seek her hand in marriage. I want her to stand beside me as my Empress, and my only wife. I know I asked you to marry her when I was little, and you said I could if I became Emperor, so . . . I’ll hold you to that. Even though I’m not sure if you’d approve.”

 

Ling bowed  to the altar and finished burning the offerings. Then he turned, and left the quiet garden where Fu’s altar was kept. Only, he sensed a familiar qi waiting for him in the corridor. He turned the corner, to find Mei standing there, a frown on her face, and her one hand absent-mindedly stroking Xiao Mei.

 

“Mei? What are you doing here?”

 

“I was looking for you, but I saw you were busy, so I thought  I’d wait . . . and I overheard you. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“So. You’re going to try court Lan Fan?”

 

“And Greed.”

 

Mei’s jaw dropped open for a moment, and then she giggled. “Now, that’s a reaction that I’d love to see.”

 

“I know . . . after everything we’ve been through together, propriety doesn’t seem very important, but I can’t court one and not the other. . . Except. . . Do you think I’m moving too fast?”

 

“What?”

 

“Courtship is a big step. . . and, well I—”

 

“No,” Mei said firmly. “I don’t think you’re moving too fast. If you were with anyone else, then yes. But, you’ve known Lan Fan for years and Greed . . . it’s a special case there.  Besides, the courtship is only the start of the relationship. You can wait years before doing the betrothal and marriage, if you want.”

 

Ling sighed in relief. “Thanks. I was a bit worried about that.”

 

Mei smiled at him. “Don’t be. Oh, do you need some help choosing the courting gifts?”

 

“Please, please, please! I have no idea what to get either of them! They have to be special, but the traditional courting gift aren’t going to work.”

 

Mei’s smile became mischievous. “I don’t know. Greed might look good in a silk dress.”

 

Ling burst out laughing. “Oh, you have got to tell him that.  I need to see his face.”

 

“I will. And, I have a few ideas for the gifts.”

 

Ling grinned at her—his little Chang half-sister—and  realised what he needed to do. He straightened up, and gave Mei a serious look.

 

“Mei, I want to ask you if you would stand with me as my family during the courtship ceremony?”

 

Her eyes widened. “ _Me?!_ Why?”

 

“Because, out of my forty two siblings, you’re the only one who I can consider a true sister.”

 

Tears welled up in Mei’s eyes, and she threw her arms around his chest. “Of course I will,” she sobbed.

 

“Hey, hey. None of that now. I promised that I’d protect you, didn’t I? I can’t do that if you insist on drowning yourself.”

 

He drew back and wiped at Mei’s tears with his sleeve, pausing only to scratch Xiao Mei behind her ears. Mei smiled at him.

 

“Would you meet me in my parlour later?” Ling asked her, “I’ve got to deal with Wu, first, but I can sneak off afterwards.” It was surprising how none of his guards—besides Lan Fan—ever thought to look for him on the rooftops.

 

“Won’t Greed and Lan Fan notice you’re missing?”

 

“Greed has gone with Ed to the Library.”

 

“I thought Greed hated libraries?”

 

“Well, Greed’s working on a _personal_ writing project, and since Ed’s written a book, I think he’s hoping for pointers. Lan Fan’s with Al in the training arena.”

 

“All right. Then I’ll see you later.”  She started to run off, but then she glanced back at him. “And, I know I didn’t know Fu, but I think that any parent, or grandparent, should be proud that you want to marry their child.”

 

She ran away before Ling could thank her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I don’t see why we couldn’t have just gone and worked at the library in the city.”

 

“Brother, stop. You’ve been complaining the whole time. Ling’s being nice by letting us use his private study rooms.”

 

“I told you, it’s not a problem, Al,” Ling said with a wave of his hand.

 

The private study rooms in the Imperial Palace were reserved for the Emperor’s personal use—and Ling did like to work there, occasionally. The desks were wooden and ornately carved, and large enough for him to spread out whatever maps, scrolls, or books that he needed to work with. There were plenty of chairs that were made from velvet and wood, and light was provided both by the huge windows, and the dozens of cheerfully glowing oil-lamps.  At the moment, the table was covered with papers depicting various experimental alchemical arrays, as well as being piled with several books on alkahestry and alchemy. There were also two slim notebooks, one with Al’s neat handwriting on it, and the other sporting Ed’s semi-legible scrawl, on the table. Ling was honestly surprised that the brothers had any space left to work, with the amount of research they’d piled in front of them.

 

“I still say we should have just gone to the Library,” Ed muttered.

 

Al shook his head and elbowed Ed in the ribs. “Ignore him, Ling. He’s still upset that Winry told you she was pregnant before he found out.”

 

“NOT ONLY HIM! _EVERYONE!_ EVERYONE KNEW BEFORE ME!”

 

“Only because you refuse to learn how to read the Dragon’s Pulse, Brother. If you’d just let Mei teach you . . .”

 

“No way am I letting that little squirt teach me.”

 

“Careful how you talk about Mei. She’s an Imperial Princess—and my sister.”

 

“I’ll talk about her however I like, you idiot Prince.”

 

Ling decided not to remind Ed that he was the Emperor now. He leant forward and steepled his fingers in front of him.

 

“There’s something really important I need to ask the two of you.”

 

“What is it?” Al asked, setting down his pen.

 

Even Ed looked up from the battered tome he was reading.

 

“I want you to formally ask your permission to court your” _Cousin? Brother? Nephew? How the hell is Greed related to them, anyway?_ “relative, Greed.”

 

Ed and Al stared at him for several minutes with wide eyes and open mouths. Ling forced himself not to fidget as he waited for a response.

 

“Well?” Ling eventually demanded.

 

“You want to _court_ Greed?” Al asked, incredulously.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Isn’t it a little late for that?” Ed asked with a smirk.  “Usually, you start the courtship _before_ you jump into the person’s bed.”

 

“There’s very little that’s traditional about us.”

 

“So, then why the courtship?” Ed asked.

 

“For one thing, it’ll shut the Court up about me providing the Imperial line with heirs. Also, it will force everyone to start treating Lan Fan and Greed with some respect. And, I want to show the world that they’re the ones I chose to have by my side.”

 

“Well, I think it’s a great idea. Of course you—”

 

“Hold on, Al. I need to think about this,” Ed said as he grabbed Al’s arm.

 

“Brother!”

 

“After all, if we say yes, we become related to Ling. That’s a big step. What if we say no?” Ed asked with a smirk.

 

Ling smirked right back at him. “Then I’ll just elope with Greed and you’ll be related to me anyway.”

 

Ed laughed and held out his fist. “All right. You have my permission. I suppose it wouldn’t be _that_ bad to have you as a relative.”

 

Ling bumped his fist against Ed’s. “Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much going on here romantically, but this chapter is full of all the family bonding that's been happening. I think that the notion of "family" and "friendship" is very important in the manga and anime, so I wanted that to come through a little here.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I didn't think this chapter would be uploaded because my internet was giving me issues. But, it somehow managed to sort itself out, so here's chapter 29 for your viewing pleasure!

Greed finished off lighting the incense and bowed to the last altar. It was of a young woman named Kit. She’d been involved with decoding messages intercepted from foreign military personnel—at least, until her base had been blown up, and almost killed her. Instead of taking her to a hospital, the military had taken her to the alchemical labs and fused her with a fox. Greed’s lips twitched as he remembered how she’d driven them all crazy by sending them all encrypted messages—and forcing them to learn the basics of code-breaking. She’d been one of the first fatalities of Wrath’s attack.

 

Greed bowed again, and glanced around. Every week, he made sure that he visited the garden and paid his respects to his possessions. His Chimera friends. He’d told Ling that he didn’t want anyone else messing around  in the garden, and Ling had agreed. He’d gifted the garden to Greed, with a muttered comment about how all the plants would dies under Greed’s care. But, Greed had decided to prove him wrong.

 

After all, if it was Greed’s garden, and the garden where his friends’ altars were, then Greed was going to make it the best goddamn garden in Xing.

 

And it was looking good. The trees had finished blossoming, and were busy pushing out new greenery. The grass was still lush, and though the jasmine vines had stopped flowering,  the bougainvilleas added plenty of colour to the walls. The beds were full of flowers: oak leaf geranium, irises, zinnias, pink carnations, purple hyacinths and cyclamens. As for the altars, Greed made sure that they were always polished enough for him to see his own handsome face in the surfaces. But, as he inspected the altars, he felt like he needed to make them better. He’d added the dates and the military ranks of each of the Chimeras to the portraits, but they still seemed off, somehow.

 

_No offence to Ling, but he isn’t the best artist. I might ask Armstrong to draw them for me when he comes. . . Maybe not. I don’t know how much of “The art of portraiture has been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations!” I can stomach._

Greed suddenly heard sharp footsteps rushing past the garden. He frowned, and stalked towards the exit. To his surprise, he caught a glimpse of Wu hurrying down the corridor, and looking slightly frazzled. Greed smirked. Whatever had that man frazzled was definitely worth checking out. He dashed after Wu, moving as silently and fast as a hunting cat. Wu was headed for the outer part of the Imperial Palace, and after a while, he slipped into a side room—one of the ones that was usually used by the servants. Greed snuck up to the screen door and peered in. As he’d guessed, Wu was inside the room—and to his surprise, so was Lan Fan. She stood at attention, utterly still, but her eyes tracked each one of Wu’s movements as he shifted in front of her.

 

“You wished to see me?” Lan Fan’s tone was smooth and clipped, yet Greed could pick out the thread of annoyance in it.

 

“Yes. I need to speak with you about the Emperor.”

 

“Is he in danger?” Lan Fan asked, sharply.

 

“No. He told me that he wishes to formally court you. I expect that he will present you with the courting gifts at this celebration he’s throwing for that Amestrian woman.”

 

Greed grinned, and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from roaring with laughter. Finally, _finally_ , the kid was taking some action. And, only a blind man—or Wu—could have missed the way Lan Fan’s eyes lit up. She blinked several times, but otherwise remained motionless.

 

“I expect you to refuse.”

 

“You have _no_ right to ask that of me.”

 

“I have _every_ right. I won’t let your common blood taint the Emperor’s bloodline. I don’t know what you’ve been doing with the Emperor to make him so infatuated with you, but it won’t last.  He’ll realise one day that you’re not even a complete woman, and he’ll find a more appropriate bride. You will _never_ be worthy of him.”

 

Greed dug his claws into the frame of the door.

 

_If this bastard insults Lan Fan one more time . . ._

 

Lan Fan, however, looked utterly indifferent to Wu’s words.

 

“The Emperor will do as he wishes. He’s forged a peace in Xing between the fifty Clans. A peace that hasn’t been seen in years. He’s shown that he’s an intelligent, compassionate ruler. You shouldn’t question his decisions.”

 

“If he’s going to show such poor judgement by consorting with a common, mongrel dog, maybe we should question him. Maybe our country would benefit from having someone else on the thr—”

 

Lan Fan blurred, and Wu cried out. He was suddenly pinned against the wall, Lan Fan’s automail blade digging into his throat, and blood leaking from a slash above it.

 

“This is your only warning, Wu Zhao. Threaten the Emperor again, and you die.”

 

Greed slipped into the room, and gave a long, slow clap. Lan Fan didn’t react—she probably had known he was there the whole time.

 

“You should just kill him, Toots. That way he can stop irritating us all.”

 

Wu’s corpse-pale face went even paler, if possible. For a long moment, Lan Fan held her blade at his throat.

 

“No,” she said at last, and retracted her blade.

 

She stepped smartly away, and stood at attention. Wu watched her warily, and rubbed at his neck.

 

“You’ll pay for that.”

 

Lan Fan shrugged almost imperceptibly, and Wu shot her a filthy look that almost had Greed drawing up his Ultimate Shield and slicing him open.  Wu’s gaze went to Greed, and Greed gave the man his most terrifying smile.

 

“Amestrian, I need to talk to you.”

 

_At least I’m not “foreign dog” anymore._

 

“Fire away.”

 

“The Emperor wishes to present—”

 

“Toots with a suit. I know.”

 

“Not just the commoner. You as well.”

 

Greed blinked. Then, he threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Oh, that’s _priceless._ The little pissant is trying to protect my reputation.”

 

Greed swore he saw Lan Fan’s lips twitch, but Wu’s next words drew his full attention.

 

“I’m glad you see how ridiculous this situation is, unlike _some_ stubborn people. The Emperors in the past—though a few of them have courted people of the same gender—have never courted foreigners before.”

 

“So what? Ling’s used to being the first to do things.”

 

Like  being the first person to willingly give up his body to a monster in exchange for a philosopher’s stone. Or being the first person in history to befriend the aforementioned monster possessing his body.

 

“It’s not appropriate.”

 

“Like I give a shit.”

 

“I’ll make it worth your while.”

 

Greed raised his eyebrows. He steepled his fingers in front of him, and leant forward. “Keep talking.”

 

Wu reached into his robes and pulled out a leather bag. A leather bag which clinked musically as he dropped it on the table. As did the second bag. And the third. And the ones after that. Soon, there was a large pile of bags on the table. Greed walked over and opened one of them. Sure enough, it was full of gold coins. Greed took one out and inspected it—going so far as to bite it. Yep, that was real gold.

 

“Is this it?”

 

“It should be enough as an initial payment. The rest you will receive once you are out of the country.”

 

“All right.”

 

Greed ignored Lan Fan’s hurt expression, and stuffed the bags into his pockets. Wu sent him a smug glance.

 

“Now, I’ll arrange for a train ticket so you can go back where you belong.”

 

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Greed gave him a razor-grin. “I’m not ready to leave Xing just yet. And, as for the money—I’m Greed _the Avaricious_. There isn’t enough money in the world to make me give up on something I want.”

 

Greed patted his bulging pockets. “Though, this gold might help me get my future possessions some nice things.”

 

“You can’t do that! Do you have not honour? No sense of propriety?”

 

“Not really, no.”

 

“You’ll ruin the reputation of our Court.”

 

“Good. This Court needs a damn good scandal!”

 

 “You coarse cretin,” Wu snapped.

 

“I’ve been called worse. Now, why don’t you piss off and bother someone else?”

 

Wu’s eyes slid from Lan Fan to Greed, before Wu snorted angrily and stormed out the room.

 

As soon as he was gone, Lan Fan heaved a sigh and removed her mask. She flipped it over and stared at the yang sign on it.

 

“For a moment, Greed, I thought . . .”

 

“That I’d actually do what that bastard wanted?” Greed crossed the room to where she stood. “Come on Toots, you know me better than that. I wasn’t lying about wanting you and Ling.”

 

He closed the distance between their lips, kissing her hard. Her arms snaked around him, crushing their bodies together as she responded. Greed’s head spun as their hands started roaming—but when his hands slipped under her armour to brush against her flat stomach, she jerked away, gasping.

 

_Right, gotta remember we’re on a go-slow here._

 

He smirked at her. “You should get used to being mine, Toots, because I’m not about to let _either_ of you go.”

 

Lan Fan rolled her eyes. “You really are greedy, you know that?”

 

“Did you expect anything else?”

 

She shook her head, and looked away. Her eyes became distant. “I can’t believe that this is happening . . . that the Emperor wants to court me. It’s an honour I could never dream of.”

 

“Hey,” Greed said sharply. “I hope you’re not just saying yes because Ling’s the Emperor!”

 

“Of course not! I love him. I think I’ve always loved him, even though I’m . . .”

 

“You’re what?”

 

“A commoner, and not—”

 

Greed grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Don’t you dare say that you’re not worthy of Ling, you moron! Let’s look at the facts, here. Firstly, you can kick the ass of pretty much anyone in the Imperial Palace. Secondly, you’ve saved Ling’s sorry ass—and mine—more times than I can count. Thirdly, you’re so devoted to him and your damn country that you cut off your own arm to save them. Fourthly, if you hadn’t got your shit together and found a philosopher’s stone, Xing would be pretty much screwed. And finally, you’re sexy as hell. So, don’t tell me you aren’t worthy of him.”

 

Lan Fan stared at him. “Thank you, Greed.”

 

“Why are you thanking me? It’s the truth.”

 

She smiled at him, and Greed resisted the urge to kiss her again.  As he looked at her, an idea sparked in his mind.

 

“Hey, Toots, you know that Ling’s probably got something big planned for when he presents his suits to us, right?”

 

“Right. . . .”

 

“You wanna help me turn  the tables on the little pissant?”

 

Lan Fan flashed him a quick grin. “What did you have in mind?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Wu wanted Lan Fan to end the courtship, and tried to sabotage Ling's relationships, by getting Greed to leave. Obviously, that's not going to happen--Greed's waited too long for these two to give up so easily.
> 
> I'd love to hear any thought on what Greed's got planned . . .


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm glad I managed to get this chapter to you. My internet connection has been giving me trouble . . . 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys.

Ling drummed his fingers on the table. Wu had asked for a meeting with him in private, in one of the rooms he usually reserved for meeting with foreign dignitaries. The room was nice enough, with the usual carved wooden furnishings and silk wall-hangings. The balcony door was pulled back, to allow him a spectacular view of the Imperial Palace, and beyond that, the dense forests.  The sun had just begun to dip towards the Western horizon, staining the carved walls of the palace with orange-gold light. The trees in the courtyard below shivered as a faint breeze passed by, and their shadows quivered, eager for the onset of night. Lan Fan stood at his shoulder, at attention as always. Ling flicked a glance towards her.

 

“If Wu doesn’t show up within the next five minutes, I’m leaving.”

 

“You’ll offend the Zhao Clan,” she responded in a whisper.

 

“The Zhao Clan is always offended,” Ling muttered.

 

Lan Fan’s lips quirked, and she opened her mouth—probably to berate him for being disrespectful—when Wu walked into the room.

 

He bowed deeply to Ling. “I apologise for keeping you waiting, Your Imperial Majesty.”

 

“It’s all right, Wu.  What did you wish to discuss?”

 

Wu’s eyes flickered towards Lan Fan with such a venomous look that Ling felt himself reaching for the hilt of his sword. Ling cleared his throat, and Wu’s gaze snapped back to him.

 

“Your Majesty, I know you have decided to present a courtship suit to certain  _people_. But, I hope to change your mind. May I present my daughter, Jianying of the Zhao Clan.”

 

Wu clapped, and the other screen door drew back. Ling felt like he’d been kicked in the gut by Wrath. A young woman walked in. Her face was moon-white, and delicately painted. There was a dusting of pale blue on each of her eyelids, and red on her lips. She wore an ornate silk dress with layer upon layer of blue fabric. She bowed deeply before Ling, and waited, the perfect picture of a well-trained Xingese noble lady.

 

She was beautiful—but she wasn’t Lan Fan or Greed. He took a deep breath and tried to find a way out of this situation. He should have seen this coming. Of course, Wu would try to find a way to prevent his courtship. And, he couldn’t refuse to meet with the woman—though, when he took a second glance at her, she seemed very young. Refusing to meet with her would offer a huge insult to the Zhao Clan. And, the Clans had gone to war over far less insult than that. He opened his mouth to say—something—when Lan Fan spoke, too low for Wu to hear.

 

“Ling, were you telling the truth when you asked me to be with you and Greed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then, meet with her. I trust you.”

 

Ling released his breath, and shot Lan Fan a grateful look—too brief for anyone to see it except her. He then nodded to Wu.

 

“Very well, Wu. I’ll meet with your daughter.”

 

Ling stood, and motioned for Lan Fan and Jianying to follow him. Lan Fan took up her usual spot beside him, while Jianying followed a little behind. As they walked, Ling noticed that Jianying kept sending admiring glanced towards Lan Fan—or rather, towards Lan Fan’s automail arm. Lan Fan either didn’t notice, or—more likely—pretended not to notice. Ling lead them to one of the nicer parlours. There was a low table, with cushions scattered around it, as well as another table, which was higher, and surrounded by chairs. There was also a daybed by the balcony screen door, and a chest of drawers with a vase of flowers on top of it. The low table had already been prepared by having a pot of tea and two cups brought. Evidently, Wu had been busy with the room before meeting with him. Lan Fan bowed to him, and took up a guard position outside the door. He was alone with Jianying. She didn’t do anything. She simply stood in the middle of the room, and waited.

 

Ling cleared his throat awkwardly.

 

“So, what would you like to do?”

 

“I will do whatever his Imperial Majesty commands.”

 

Ling ground his teeth in frustration. The woman wasn’t even looking at him. How was he supposed to speak with her if she didn’t open up? If only Greed were here, he’d know—

 

“Would you like to play Pai Sho?”

 

“Pai Sho?”

 

“Yes. You do know how to play, don’t you?”

 

“Oh . . . yes. Of course.”

 

“Great!” Ling went over to the chest of drawers, and rummaged about. Sure enough, he found an old Pai Sho board wedged in amongst all the other stuff. He yanked it out triumphantly, and went over to the table to set it up. He glanced up, but Jianying was still staring at the door where Lan Fan had exited.

 

“The board’s almost ready.”

 

Her gaze immediately snapped to Ling. She gracefully took a seat opposite him, and moved a tile. Ling responded, and she moved another tile.

 

“Would his Majesty like some tea?”

 

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

 

Jianying prepared the tea, and for some reason, Ling found it hard to watch her do it. His gaze kept sliding to the door, and he kept reaching with his qi senses to reassure himself that Lan Fan was still by the door. If she hadn’t been—Ling didn’t think he could continue with this evening. He also kept checking on the rancid mass of qi emanating from Greed. The homunculus had said he was going to stay in Ling’s room and work on his book, and Ling kept making sure he was still there. He didn’t want Greed to come barrelling into the meeting with Jianying and complicate matters.  

 

“So,” Ling said as he moved another tile. “What do you like to do for fun?”

 

“I can dance and sing. I know all our histories, and can recite poetry. I also can paint passably well, and I can embroider and sew. Would Your Majesty like a demonstration of my skills?”

 

“No. I don’t want to know what you _can_ do, just what you like to do.”

 

“I  . . . ”

 

“There must be something you like to do? Or are you only interested in singing and dancing?”

 

“It’s what my family expects of me.”

 

“But, it’s not what you want to do, right?”

 

Once again, her eyes slid towards the door. Ling frowned at her.

 

“Why are you so fascinated by the Imperial Guard?”

 

Her eyes widened. “Please, forgive me, Your Majesty, if I have offended you.”

 

Ling fought the urge to groan. “You haven’t offended me. I just wanted to know why.”

 

She was silent for a long time. “When I was much younger, my older brother lost both his legs in a hunting accident. He’s been bedridden ever since. We thought there was no hope for him. But, a few years ago we went past the capital and I saw your guard. She has a metal arm. I mean, she lost her arm, and she replaced it with a metal one . . . and because of that she can still be your guard. And I thought that maybe my brother . . . I began designing metal legs for my brother.”

 

“So, you’re interested in automail!”

 

“No! It’s not—my father said it’s not appropriate for a woman to demean herself through mechanics.”

 

“That’s bull-shit. The best automail mechanic I know is a woman. I should introduce you to Winry when I get a chance. Do you still have your designs?” Ling steepled his fingers as he thought.

 

“Yes. . .”

 

“Great. You should show them to her. Wait, you are still interested in automail, right?”

 

“Very much so.”

 

“Well,” Suddenly, a new idea struck him, and he felt his face split into a smile. “Actually, I have a better idea. My friend Winry isn’t allowed to travel for a while, so her old master, Mr. Garfiel, has been looking for an apprentice. He’s really nice, and I’m sure he’d like to have you as part of the Sato delegation that’s going to Amestris soon.”

 

It would actually be better if he sent people from a number of Clans to learn how to be automail engineers. That would prevent the Sato Clan from getting a mononpoly on automail engineers, and it would mean that people from more areas throughout Xing would have access to automail outfitters.

 

“Why?” her chocked voice jolted Ling back to the present.

 

“What?”

 

“Why would you want me to be an engineer?”

 

“Don’t you want to be?”

 

She looked away, and she started wringing her hands. “I do, more than anything. But, it’s impossible.”

 

Ling chuckled. “I have a friend who likes to say “nothing is impossible”.”

 

“But, my father—“

 

”Will accept that you have an Imperial scholarship to study automail engineering.”

 

She stared at him. “Why are you helping me?”

 

“A King’s duty is to his people. Without them, he is nothing. I intend to make sure that as many people as I can are prospering in Xing. And I refuse to force people to do things that they don’t want to do.”

 

He reached towards his tea cup.

 

“Don’t drink that!”

 

Jianying seized his wrist.  With her free hand, she grabbed the cup and dumped its contents on the floor. When she looked at him, Ling was shocked to see that there were tears coursing down her face, leaving black streaks of paint in their wake. She released his wrist, and wiped at her tears, smearing the make-up  everywhere.

 

“Don’t drink that,” she repeated.

 

She scrambled to her feet, and walked around the table. She fell prostrate in front of him, and pressed her forehead to the floor.

 

“Your Imperial Majesty, my father kept telling me that you were selfish, and that you would ruin our country. But . . . he’s wrong. So, so wrong. And, now I have to tell you the truth—I’m a traitor.  My father sent me here as part of a plot. He wanted you to bed me so that I would fall pregnant and you would have no choice but to take me as your wife.”

 

“Bed you?” Ling repeated.

 

_Bed her? Bed her? She couldn’t mean . . ._ oh, hell no!

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“But, how would he ensure that we, erm . . . “ Ling couldn’t stop his face heating.

 

“He ordered me to spike your tea with moonflower. It’s a herb that causes men to become incredibly aroused. And, he insisted that I eat fertility medication for the past two weeks.”

 

“You mean that your father wanted me to . . . violate you? So you’d get pregnant?”

 

“Yes.”  Her voice cracked as she answered.

 

Ling recoiled from her, and she pressed her forehead to the ground once more. “Forgive my treachery, Your Majesty. I accept whatever punishment you have for me.”

 

Ling’s stomach roiled, and he snapped his fingers. Instantly, Lan Fan appeared at his side. He saw Jianying stiffen, and then start trembling.

 

“Get me some paper, and a stylus.”

 

Lan Fan nodded, and disappeared. Ling turned his back on the shaking woman and tried to process the plan, as he paced. His fist clenched around the hilt of his Dao sword. Force the Emperor to impregnate a girl, and thus guarantee she would become Empress. No more Amestrian husband. No more common wife. And an heir directly from the nobility.  The perfect plan.

 

_When I see that bastard again, I’m going to_ —

 

Suddenly, Lan Fan pressed the stylus into his hand. Ling stared at the paper as he thought. What would be an appropriate punishment for them? There had to be something appropriate . . . He  thought for a long moment. Then, he wrote down his order and fixed it with the Imperial Seal.

 

“Jianying, your punishment is as follows. As your Emperor, I’m exiling you to a hot, dry, dusty place bereft of beauty. It’s called Rush Valley. You’ll then be asked to perform manual labour as you learn how to be an automail engineer under the apprenticeship of Mr Garfiel. Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you will return to Xing, and begin providing the people with automail—starting with your brother.”

 

She stared at him with wide eyes. “Thank you . . . thank you.”

 

“Don’t thank me, it’s a punishment. Now, go.”

 

Jianying scrambled to her feet, and bowed deeply, before vanishing out the screen door.

 

“Do you want me to follow her?” Lan Fan glared in the direction the woman had gone.

 

“No.”

 

“Your Majesty, you should let me follow her. Just to make sure that there are no assassins, or other plots against you.”

 

“No. There’s no need,” he said with a wave of his hand.

 

“Of course there is! She was part of a plot against you!”

 

Ling looked at Lan Fan. “All she had to do was remain silent, and her father’s plan would have succeeded. Instead, she warned me, and that makes me want to trust her.”

 

“It could be part of some larger scheme.”

 

Ling chuckled. “You’re always so suspicious.”

 

“I have to be, Your Majesty. It’s my duty to take care of you, even when you refuse to do it for yourself.”

 

“It makes you sound paranoid.”

 

She shrugged. “Are you certain you won’t let me follow her?”

 

“I’m positive. We should get back to Greed.”

 

“He’s probably waiting for us. You did say that the meeting with Wu wouldn’t take long and—”

 

Ling grimaced. “Yeah, I know. The “Jianying meeting” took a while. Hell, Greed’s going to hit the roof when he finds out what happened.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so Wu is really, really trying to cause problems for our trio. But, as you can see, his plans aren't really working.
> 
> I have a few different ways this scene could go. The original was where Ling drinks the moonflower, and then Jiangying reveals the plan. In that scenario, Ling sends Jiangying away, and he races back to his rooms. But, Lan Fan and Greed are there, and Ling is struck by how damn sexy they are. He locks himself in his chambers, so that he doesn't assault them, and begs them to find Mei with an antidote (of course there is always the option that they actually engage in coitus.)
> 
> However, I chose this version for two reasons. One, is that I wanted to show that Jiangying is essentially a good person, and it's her father who's pushing her around.
> 
> Secondly, I didn't want the first time between the three of them to be because of a drug--I want it to be an action that arose because they love each other.
> 
> Please let me know what you all think.
> 
> Have a great weekend.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so yesterday was just one of those day where things just kept going wrong. I got home from work, and just sat and typed until, well, I ended up completing this chapter.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys it.

Ling sighed, and drummed his fingers against the table. He was seated in the same room where he’d met Wu the previous evening. The balcony doors were still wide open, letting the summer air blow into the room, On the table, Ling had spread several maps and parchments. Everything was in place. All Wu needed to do was arrive—and Ling had been waiting for a while now. If Ling hadn’t known better, he would have said that Wu was avoiding him—but he knew that wasn’t true. The man _must_ be curious about whether his plan had worked or not. Ling clenched his jaw. That damn plan. It was ingenious really. No matter how Ling examined the laws, there wasn’t a single crime that Ling could charge the man with. The incident couldn’t even count as treason! But still, he wasn’t about to let Wu plot against him with no repercussions. Ling rubbed the back of his neck, and smiled as he brushed past the tender spot on his throat.

 

Ling had been wrong about Greed’s reaction. The homunculus hadn’t been angry—he’d been furious. It had taken Ling nearly an hour to talk Greed out of dismembering Wu with his claws. It didn’t help matters that Lan Fan had agreed with Greed. Once Ling had been certain that _neither_ of the two of them would sneak off on a homicidal mission, he’d gone into his private study area, and picked up his copies of the Criminal laws of Xing, in order to see if he could charge Wu with anything. Once he returned to his rooms, he had planned to sit down at his desk and work. Greed had had other ideas. He’d grabbed Ling, pushed him against the wall, and kissed him fiercely. As Ling had broken the kiss, Greed had left a trail of kisses along his throat—and finished off by leaving a purple-blue love bite on Ling’s neck. 

 

“I want to leave you with a reminder that you’re mine, kid,” Greed had said as he pulled away from Ling.

 

As his hand drifted over the bite-mark, Ling wondered what it would be like to leave a love-bite on Greed’s neck? Or to—

 

Suddenly, there was a rap on the screen door, and Ling throttled his amorous thoughts into submission.

 

“Come in,” he said.

 

Wu entered the room, and bowed deeply. As he straightened, he sent a triumphant look towards Lan Fan. She didn’t react, but Ling could see the rage blazing in her eyes. Ling was sure that the only reason she wasn’t ripping Wu apart was because Ling had expressly ordered her not to.

 

“You wished to see me, Your Majesty?”

 

“Yes, Wu. It has to do with your daughter.”

 

Wu’s smile flickered across his face, before he smoothed it. “I hope she pleased Your Majesty.”

 

“She did, indeed. She’s such an enthusiastic, and intelligent young girl. And she has a sense of honesty and fair play that’s quite impressive—especially considering she’s only fourteen years old.”

 

The blood in Wu’s face melted away. “She told you?”

 

“No, but, some of your servants did when I started making inquiries today. And you just confirmed it for me, so you have my gratitude. Her age means that she’s a bit young for me, considering that the new marriage laws require both parties to be eighteen. But, I did decide that she’s of an appropriate age to be apprenticed as an automail engineer in Rush Valley--though I have to pretend that it's the punishment she has to endure for your crimes.”

_"Rush Valley?”_

 

“Yes. Rush Valley in Amestris. I’m funding all her studies there. You should be proud, Wu. Your daughter will become one of the first Xingese automail engineers. Certainly, she will be the first person with an Imperial scholarship to study automail engineering.”

 

“Yes. I’m very proud,” Wu said through clenched teeth. He bowed to Ling—and the bow was a fraction too shallow. It was apparently as close to disrespecting the Emperor as the man could get. “Is that all, Your Majesty?”

 

Ling gave a lopsided smile. “No.”

 

“Your daughter told me something else, Wu. She told me that you had insisted that she take fertility herbs . . . and that you ordered her to spike my tea with moonflower.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Wu had gone even paler, and there were little beads of sweat studded across his forehead.

 

“Don’t take me for a fool, Wu,” Ling said, flatly. “I checked the tea your daughter would have served me, and I found traces of moonflower in it.”

 

“I’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

“No. You’re very good at that, Wu. No matter how I examine the law, it’s not a crime to try and turn your Emperor into a rapist.”

 

He felt Lan Fan stiffen at his words. Wu was glaring at him.

 

“Take a look at the map on the table, Wu.” The man obeyed.

 

“I may not be able to charge you with a crime, Wu. But I _can_ punish you. As you can see on that map, Xing is a very big country. So big that many of the outlying villages get ignored by their Emperor. I’ve marked off on the map some of the most distant villages. Some of them are located on the border of the desert, where the land is barren, and water is scarce. And others are high up in the mountains—so high up that they are covered in snow almost  the entire year. I want you to go to each of the villages and take detailed reports from all of them.”

 

“What?”

 

“Reports, Wu. You know, documents which detail the grievances of the villagers; what there infrastructure is like; what supplies they desperately need  and their ideas on how I can improve their lives. Since all the villages are so far from the main cities, you’ll have to take traditional modes of transportation: walking, riding, climbing and so forth. Each report will have to be accompanied by your own personal signature and seal.”

 

“You’re exiling me,” Wu said, looking up from the map with horror.

 

“Now you understand.” Ling’s smile was cold.

 

“You can’t do this. I’m the representative of the Zhao Clan!”

 

“Then the Zhao Clan can find another representative.”

 

“You will be sorry, you insolent—“

 

Wu staggered backwards, clutching his ear. Blood gushed between his fingers. Ling’s eyes were wide—he hadn’t even seen Lan Fan throw her kunai. She advanced on Wu, and said in a toneless voice.

 

“I warned you about what would happen if you threatened the Emperor.”

 

Ling took a deep breath, and reluctantly snapped his fingers. Lan Fan froze . . . but she didn’t return to her place. Her fingers twitched towards her other kunai.

 

“Lan Fan.” It wasn’t a command, but a request.

 

She returned to his side, but her eyes were fixed on Wu. The man was whimpering, and clutching bleeding ear.

 

“Wu, get that wound seen to, and get out of my palace. You have many places to visit, and I expect your first report by the end of the month.”

 

Wu looked at him, his mouth working, but after a glance at Lan Fan, he executed a hasty bow. He rushed out the room, leaving a thin trail of blood spatter behind him.

 

“Your Majesty, he threatened you. You should have let me kill him.”

 

“He’s not worth soiling your kunai, Lan Fan. And besides, forcing him into exile is the harshest punishment I can think of for a man like Wu.”

 

Ling stood, and cracked his spine. “Now, why don’t we go find something to eat?”

 

“Of course. We can’t have you pass out in the throne room again.”

 

“That only happened once!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Wu is exiled--but I'm sure everyone feels that Ling should have let Lan Fan kill him. 
> 
> As for Jianying--although her her records show that it is a "punishment" for her to be sent to Rush Valley, Ling used it as a way to have her study like she wanted. 
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. Sp, now that I've uploaded my other birthday Greelingfan fic, I thought I could get back to this story
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys.

“I still don’t get why I have to wear this monkey-suit,” Greed complained as he tugged at his tie.

 

“You could have worn the traditional Xingese outfit I suggested.”

 

“No way! That thing’s far more uncomfortable than this.”

 

“Then stop complaining.”

 

They were alone, in one of the many meeting chambers of the Imperial Palace. They’d pushed the furniture against the wall, and had opened up the windows to allow the golden sunlight to filter in. They were using the privacy of this place to practice the words of the traditional Xingese courting ceremony, before the celebration tomorrow. Ling had been as good as his word to Winry, and was throwing a celebration in honour of the coming baby. But, Mei had told Lan Fan that Ling was planning to use the celebration as a way to publically present his suit to both her and Greed— so, she’d insisted that Greed help her practice the courting ceremony. The last thing Lan Fan wanted to do was make a fool of herself in front of the entire Xingese Court. It would be awkward enough to accept the suit with no family members to stand with her.

 

Greed glared at her. “You haven’t stopped complaining about the dress the whole day!”

 

It was true. She hated wearing the floor length garment. It made her feel too . . . visible. She’d much rather disappear into the shadows where could better protect Ling. But, tomorrow she would be in front of the entire Court, and she refused to embarrass Ling by wearing her armour. So, she’d chosen a plainish, navy dress, with simple embroidery on the hems and sleeves, as well as a sash around her waist, and over her shoulder. It certainly wasn’t the most eye-catching, but it was acceptable attire for a celebration. She still felt awkward wearing it. Greed, on the other hand, was wearing an Amestrian suit and tie—and he looked spectacular in it. The cut of the jacket accentuated his broad shoulders, and the tightness of his shirt revealed his sculpted chest.

 

“Fine. Let’s just get another practice in, all right?” She tried to keep her voice steady.

 

This had to go perfectly, otherwise her plan would be ruined.

 

“Sure thing, Toots. I—”

 

“There you are!”

 

Lan Fan turned towards the door, where Al, Ed, Winry and Mei were standing. Mei’s eyes lit up when she saw them.

 

“You two look really great! That’s a new dress, right, Lan Fan? Are you practicing for tomorrow?”

 

“How the hell do you know about tomorrow? And how did you find us, anyway?”

 

“Oh, I’ve been helping Ling prepare all the gifts. And as for finding you,” Mei smirked at Greed. “Your vile qi is pretty easy to follow.”

 

“If someone else makes a crack about my qi .  . .” he muttered.

 

 Lan Fan had to hide a smile as Mei darted forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I only tease people I like.”

 

He blinked in shock. Greed rubbed his cheek, and tried not to look embarrassed. “Gee, thanks Half-Pint.”

 

“Anyway, what are you doing here?” Lan Fan asked.

 

“I was curious to see what the courtship ritual entailed,” Winry said.

 

“You’re welcome to watch if you want, Peaches,” Greed said before Lan Fan could politely refuse.

 

She didn’t want _more_ people to witness her humiliate herself.

 

“Great!” Winry smiled at them, and Lan Fan couldn’t find a way to argue.

 

“Actually, there is another reason we came here,” Ed glanced at Al who nodded, and the two of them looked at Lan Fan. “Lan Fan, we know that there’s no way to replace anyone who’s passed. And, the last thing we want to do is offend you by suggesting that we could replace Fu . . . but, tomorrow, we’d like to stand with you when Ling presents his suit.”

 

Lan Fan’s breath caught. “Y-you’d do that for me?”

 

“Of course,” Al said with a smile. “we think of you as a sister anyway. And you’ve been so nice to me, showing me all the Xingese customs and teaching me the language.”

 

“And sparring. Don’t forget the sparring,” Ed added.

 

“So, we’d like to stand with you as your friends.”

 

“I would be honoured.” And because the words were so woefully, woefully inadequate, she pressed her palms together and bowed to them. Ed snorted, and both he and Al held out their fists. She quickly bumped her knuckles against them.

 

Ed and Al grinned at her. “So, what do we do? Since we’re presenting Greed tomorrow, we know some of the ritual, but it might be good to practice a bit more.”

 

“Of course it will be,” Mei said. “Alphonse, you stand with me and Lan Fan, and Ed, you and Winry stand with Greed.

 

Mei flashed her a look as she spoke.

 

_She knows. She knows exactly what I’m about to do._

 

“I’ll play Ling’s part,” Lan Fan said, her throat dry. “Mei, the box and the bag of gold are on the table there. Could you get them for me?”

 

“Sure.” Mei darted aside, and came back with the plain red box and leather bag.  She noticed that Winry had also retrieved a box and the leather bag from another table.

 

She cleared her throat, and then said, first in Xingese and then in Amestrian. “I am Lan Fan, of the Yao clan of Xing, and I have come with my family to seek the one called Greed the Avaricious of Amestris, who is your . . .  relative.”

 

Ed stepped forward. “I am the eldest of the family of Greed the Avaricious.”

 

“Like hell you are!”

 

“Greed!”

 

Winry smacked Greed on the back of the head, and he chuckled. “Sorry, Peaches , I couldn’t resist.”

 

“I am the eldest of the family of Greed the Avaricious,” Ed said, glaring daggers at the homunculous. “And I ask what you want with our idiot relative.”

 

“I don’t think that’s very traditional, Brother.”

 

“It works for me,” Ed said.

 

“I wish to present him with a courtship suit,” Lan Fan bowed. “as part of my suit, I present a gift from my family to yours, to show that I will take good care of my husband.”

 

Al stepped forward, with the leather bag in hand, and gave it to Ed. Lan Fan clenched her fists. The bag contained almost all her life savings. If it wasn’t enough . . .

 

“We gratefully accept your generous gift. You may present your suit to our relative.”

 

Lan Fan breathed a sigh of relief. She was being ridiculous—these were her friends, not some money-grabbing, greedy nobles. Well, one of them was _greedy_ , but that wasn’t the point. She yanked her thoughts back to the present.

 

“Greed the Avaricious of the Elric family of Amestris. I wish to formally present my courtship suit to you. To show that I am earnest in my affections, I have brought three gifts for you.”

 

Mei stepped forward, box in hand. Greed looked almost bored as he took the box. Then, his eyes widened as he felt its weight. He immediately opened it.

 

“Toots, there’s _stuff_ in here?!”

 

Lan Fan nodded. “I know. I thought about Ling’s suit, and it didn’t seem right that I am seen to be courting one of you, and not the other.  So, I wanted to ask you if you’ll allow me to court you”

 

She felt her blush rising to her cheeks as Greed laughed. “Whatever you want, Toots. I say yes. I like how greedy you’re being—one suitor not enough for you, hmm?”

 

He peered into the box, and pulled out something made from black material. He shook it out and let out an appreciative whistle. It was a long, black leather coat—like the kind he’d worn whilst in Ling’s body. Only, Lan Fan had asked for a purple velvet to be inserted as the lining. Greed brought the jacket up to his face and inhaled.

 

“Oh, yes. That’s genuine leather, all right.” He folded it up, and placed it back into the box before pulling out the next gift.  It was a bottle of special Vintage Cretan wine. Lan Fan had to beg Ed to help her get a hold of it. Greed grinned at it.

 

“Oh, I’m going to save this for a really special occasion.”

 

He placed it back into the box, and  pulled out the last gift. It was a battered Pai Sho set—and his jaw dropped.

 

“Toots, this is—”

 

“My Grandfather’s Pai Sho set. It’s one of my most valuable possessions. I want you to have it.”

 

Greed’s mouth worked for a moment, but, then he nodded. “Right. I’ll take good care of it, Lan Fan.”

 

Greed put the Pai Sho set reverently back in the box. He set down the box near Winry, and took the one she’d been holding.

 

“I, Greed the Avaricious of the Elric family of Amestris, am pleased with the offered gifts and have decided to accept your suit. Here are the courting gifts I have chosen, in order to honour my suitor.”

 

Greed held out the box to her, and Lan Fan took it numbly. She felt giddy with joy. He’d accepted her suit. He’d _accepted_ her.

 

“Wait, how did you have your acceptance ready?”

 

Greed smirked at her. “I was going to offer you my suit, but you beat me to the punch, Toots.”

 

Her fingers started shaking as she opened the box. The first thing she noticed was a set of ornate, bejewelled hair pieces. Her stomach dropped a little. They were beautiful, but they weren’t really something she’d—Her eyes widened as she realised. She picked up one of the hair chopsticks and stared at it. The ends were tapered into sharp points, sharp enough to pierce flesh. As her hands travelled along it’s body, her fingernail hooked on a catch, and the top popped open—revealing a compartment that could be used to store poison.

 

“The hair ornaments—they’re weapons, aren’t they?” she breathed. “Jewelled weapons.”

 

“Yeah. I figured you’d never wear anything pretty unless you could maim someone with it.”

 

Ed snorted, but Lan Fan smiled up at Greed. “Thank you.”

 

She looked at the other gift. It was a silver locket, the type Amestrians gave to their families or loved ones. She scooped it up, and gently popped open the catch. It swung open and she frowned.  The locket was empty.

 

“I figured that you’d find the perfect picture for it  yourself.”

 

She nodded, and carefully placed it back in the box. She then looked at the final gift. Her breath caught. It was an automail upgrade—a hand. But, each finger had a retractable, diamond-tipped claw. It was the perfect weapon.

 

“I designed it!” Winry exclaimed. “I modelled it after the last upgrade I gave you, but I refined the weighting, and I used Greed’s claws as a template.”

 

“This is amazing.” She said, as she handed Al the box.  “Thank you.”

 

“No. Thank you, Toots.”

 

The way Greed looked at her—a mix of pride, possession, and adoration—made her heart soar. Impulsively, she closed the distance between them, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Greed stiffened in shock, but returned the kiss eagerly. She reached up and gripped his hair, while his hand snaked around her waist. Then, the memory of a conversation ghosted through her hazed thoughts. She pulled away slightly, and caught his bottom lip between her teeth. She bit down. Greed made an animalistic noise of ecstasy and tightened his grip on her

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, get a room!”

 

Lan Fan jerked away from Greed—she’d forgotten she had an audience. Ed and Al were a bit red in the face, but Winry was smiling, and Mei’s grin was huge.

 

“I think we can say that was a successful practice,” Lan Fan said, trying not to sound flustered. “Now, all that’s left is to get through tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Lan Fan decided to court Greed, beofre anything happened between Ling and any of them. I hope you liked my ideas for their gifts, and the way I created the ritual. 
> 
> As always, feedback is greatly appreciated!


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'm glad that I managed to finish for you all.

Greed had to admit, Ling knew how to throw a party. He’d transformed one of the larger ballrooms into a spectacular riot of red-and-gold hangings—the traditional colours for Xingese celebrations. The columns on either side of the dancefloor had also been wrapped in red fabric, and the gold statutes scattered about the ballroom had been given an extra polish, so that they gleamed in the light provided by the hundreds of dangling paper lanterns. If that wasn’t enough of an effect, Ling had ordered hundreds of crystals to be hung amongst the lanterns, so that they shattered the light and sent rainbow speckles chasing each other over the dancefloor. A group of live musicians stood on a dais off to the left, and were playing various melodies. Dancers flitted across the floor, their robes and dresses flaring as they spun in time to the music.  Huge tables lined the sides of the dancefloor and they sagged under the weight of the food piled on them. There were plenty of traditional Xingese dishes on the table—chicken corn soup, zongzi, spiced beef, dumplings, fried rice—but there were also Amestrian classics like shrimp balls, quiche, chicken strips and stew. There were even some Ishvallan dishes that Greed was keen to try.

 

He glanced around the room again as he sipped his wine. It wasn’t a bad bouquet, and it had a nice afterburn, but it wasn’t a patch on that vintage bouquet Lan Fan had given him. How had she known about his favourite wines? As he mused, his gaze settled on Winry. She was wearing an floor-length, turquoise dress that accentuated all her curves—which seemed to both please and horrify Ed. Winry was busy talking to an older, Xingese man, and didn’t seem to notice how his gaze kept falling to her chest whenever she looked away.

 

Greed felt a sharp stab of possessiveness, but before he could do anything, Ed appeared behind the man. He laid a hand on the man’s shoulder, and whispered something in his ear. The man went several shades paler, and scuttled away. Ed then went up to Winry, pulled her close, and kissed her cheek. She blushed, and Greed forced himself to look away from the sickeningly sweet sight. His eyes roamed over the Xingese nobility in either long, silk dresses, or the ornately embroidered changshans. There were also some refined men in robes wandering around. As he glanced around, he spotted Mei and Al. They were both tucking into plates of some sort of Ishvallan stew, and chatting to two men. The one was overweight, with dreadlocks and dark skin, while the other had short, blonde hair and a pair of round glasses on his nose. They looked familiar though. Then, Greed recognised them. Jerso and Zampano. Of course, Ling would invite the Chimeras to the celebration.  

 

But, where was . . .

 

Ah, there she was. Lurking in the shadow of a column, as usual. Greed thought she looked amazing. The dress hugged Lan Fan’s curves, and showed off the delicious definition in her arms. Her automail gleamed, and the embroidery on the dress twinkled in response. She was the perfect blend of danger and beauty. If only she could see it. As Greed watched, a few of the Xingese noblewomen walked past Lan Fan. Though he couldn’t tell what they were saying from this distance, he could clearly see their disdainful expressions. He heard a crack, and glanced down. He’d instinctively pulled up the Ultimate Shield, and broken his glass in the process. He dismissed the Shield, and dropped the shards, which tinkled as they hit the floor. He started towards Lan Fan.

 

The sound of a gong reverberated through the room, silencing the musicians. The huge doors opened, and Ling walked into the room. Greed’s eyebrows rose, and he let out a wolf-whistle. Ling was wearing his full Imperial regalia. Red-and-gold outer robe, purple under robe, black shirt beneath it, sword strapped to his hip, and crown on his head. He radiated power and majesty, as he made his way to the throne on the dais, at the far end of the room. Greed had a vision of sprinting across the room and kissing Ling in front of the entire court, propriety be damned.

 

“Welcome, everyone, to my celebration.” Ling said, as he stood at the top of the dais.

 

His voice reverberated through the hall, distracting Greed from his amourous thoughts, and Greed wondered if he was using alkahestry to amplify his voice, “It’s always a blessing when a child is coming to the world, and so I’d like to take this moment to congratulate my good friends, Edward and Winry Elric, on their new blessing. May you have every joy and happiness in the world.”

 

The crowd gave a deafening cheer, led, of course, by Al and Mei. Greed even saw Lan Fan cheering hard. Ling let it continue for a while, before he held up his hand. Instantly, the crowd fell silent. 

 

“But,” Ling continued, “Today isn’t just a day of joy for my friends. Today, I’ve decided to present two courtship suits to the two most worthy people I know.”

 

There was excited muttering throughout the hall. Greed felt his grin grow wider, and he glanced over at Lan Fan. Sure enough, she looked like she wanted to disappear out the nearest window. He caught her eye, and gave her a wink. She returned a grateful half-smile .

 

“The first suit,” Ling said. “Is to a woman who’s been beside me for as long as I can remember. Whose courage and determination inspires me. And, who was willing to give everything to ensure my safety and the well-being of this country. Without her, Xing would be,” _royally screwed?_ “in serious peril.”

 

Ling opened his eyes, and fixed Lan Fan with a look. Mei rushed to stand beside him, holding the traditional red box and the leather bag.

 

“I am Ling Yao, of both the Imperial Family, and the Yao Clan of Xing, and I seek Lan Fan of the Yao Clan.”

 

There were a few horrified gasps, but they were crushed beneath the cheering of Ed, Winry, Al and Greed. Lan Fan stepped into the light, her face carefully controlled, but Greed could see the joy in her eyes. She stepped forward until she was right before the dais, and Ling stepped down to meet her—causing more horrified gasps—and Greed wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that someone fainted. But, before Ling could say anything, Ed, Al and Winry stepped out from the crowd, and went to stand beside Lan Fan. Al was carrying the traditional red box.

 

“I am the eldest of the Elric family of Amestris, and I ask what your business is with our heart-sister?” Ed said calmly.

 

Ling looked like he was fighting not to smile. “I wish to present her with a courtship suit,”  Ling inclined his head—far more than an Emperor ever should, “and, as part of my suit, I present a gift from my family to yours, to show that I will take good care of my wife.”

 

Mei stepped forward, and handed over a leather bag. Ed lifted the leather bag, and smiled. “We gratefully accept your generous gift. You may present your suit to our heart-sister.”

 

“Lan Fan of the Yao Clan, I wish to formally present my courtship suit to you. To show that I am earnest in my affections, I have brought three gifts for you.”

 

Mei held out the box, and Greed was sure he was one of the few people who could see how Lan Fan’s hands were trembling as she opened it. Although he couldn’t hear what Ling was saying to Lan Fan, Mei had explained each of the gifts Ling would present to Lan Fan when Greed had asked her.

 

The first gift was a ceramic tea set, that was covered in delicately painted orchids, as Lan Fan’s name meant “orchid fragrance.” The second gift was an automail arm. But, not just any arm—although portions of the design were similar to her old one, there was now a retractable blade in the forearm, as well as the elbow. It was also made from the Brigg’s alloy, so it was much lighter, without being weaker. And all the plates had been carefully reinforced, so that they could act like a shield. The last gift, though . . . Ling had contacted Major Armstrong and had asked him to make a portrait of Fu. A portrait that would fit exactly into the locket Greed had given her. As she looked at the portrait, Greed could see the sheen of tears in her eyes.

 

“I, Lan Fan of the Yao Clan, am pleased with the offered gifts and have decided to accept your suit. Here are the courting gifts I have chosen, in order to honour my suitor.”

 

Al stepped forward with the box, and Ling carefully opened it. The first thing he pulled out was a black leather belt, with a black scabbard dangling from it. The scabbard was decorated with the images of golden dragons, and a rising phoenix. Immediately, Ling undid the belt around his waist, and replaced it with his new scabbard. The second gift he pulled out was a plain leather bag, but from the way Ling grinned, Greed realised there had to be more to it than that—and he was right. Lan Fan told him, later, that the bag was the one she always carried around with some food inside it, for when Ling collapsed. Ling put the bag back in the box, and drew out the last gift. It was a dagger. An old, battered dagger with fraying leather around the hilt.  Greed recognised it. Old man Fu’s dagger. Ling stared at it for a moment, and then placed it reverently back in the box.

 

“I gratefully accept your gifts. They are most welcome, and the dagger . . . it belonged to a great man. I am honoured you chose to give it to me.”

 

Lan Fan and Ling looked absolutely overjoyed—and seeing their happiness made something glow in Greed’s chest.

 

Fuck, he _was_ becoming a sap.

 

Lan Fan bowed once to Ling, and then went back to her place in the shadow of the column. Ling scanned the crowd, and Greed gave him a little wave.

 

“The second person I wish to present my suit to is one of the bravest, and most protective people I know. He would do anything for his friends—and I should know, because he saved my life.”

 

Before Ling could continue, Greed stepped forward and said in a loud voice. “I am Greed the Avaricious of the Elric family of Amestris and I seek Ling Yao of both the Imperial Family and the Yao Clan of Xing.”

 

Stunned silence. Ling’s jaw swung open, before he snapped it shut. Mei quickly stepped forward.

 

“I am the younger sister of the Imperial family of Xing, and I ask what your business is with my brother?”

 

“I wish to present him with a courtship suit,” Greed pressed his palms together and bowed to Ling,” and, as part of my suit, I present a gift from my family to yours, to show that I will take good care of my husband.”

 

Ed stepped forward, the leather bag in hand, and the four of them made their way over to the dais. Ed handed the leather bag to Mei—a leather bag filled with what remained of the gold Wu had tried to bribe him with.

 

Mei was smiling. “I gratefully accept your generous gift. You may present your suit to my brother.”

 

“Ling Yao of both the Imperial family and the Yao Clan, I wish to formally present my courtship suit to you. To show that I am earnest in my affections, I have brought three gifts for you.”

 

Al held out the box, and Ling took it from him.

 

“You messed up my plan, you jerk,” Ling said softly.

 

“That was the plan, kid.”

 

Ling looked into the box, and snorted. He pulled out the first gift: A black leather ensemble that consisted of a pair of black leather pants, a black vest with white fur ruff, and leather wrist straps.

 

“I thought you might like these.”

 

“You have the tackiest taste.”

 

“You were the one who brought the outfit before.”

 

“Yeah, but I can’t help that your taste rubbed off on me. Anyway, why’d you get me these? You know I have a set already.”

 

“This is the new and improved version of the outfit.”

 

Ling frowned, and looked back at the clothes. His eyes actually widened. On the back of the vest was an ouroboros, made from real rubies. The hem of the vest was gold, as opposed to white. There were ruby studs decorating the pockets of the pants as well. As for the leather straps—they now sported gold buckles, and had the same ruby ouroboros as the vest. As Ling finger the straps, Greed had a mental image of how much fun the three of them could have with those straps—and no _other_ clothes.  Ling folded the outfit, and put it back in the box. The second gift he pulled out made Ling grin. It was a set of utensils—chopsticks, as well as a knife, fork and spoon—all packed into a convenient leather carry case. Each one was made from stainless steel, and had a wooden handle which was decorated with the golden image of a phoenix.

 

“Cutlery?”

 

“Of course. I still have nightmares about the way you tried to eat soup without it!”

 

Ling rolled his eyes.  He reached into the box and pulled out the third gift. His eyes went wide. It was a Dao sword, the kind he usually used, but the blade was made from Damask steel, and the hilt was wrapped in black leather. The guard was decorated with a phoenix and a dragon. Ling’s hands moved carefully over the blade, and then he slashed the air with it a few times, as he checked the weight and balance. From his pleased expression, Greed could tell that it was perfect. It was an exact match to his new scabbard. He sheathed it, and gave Greed a wide smile.

 

“I, Ling Yao of both the Imperial family and the Yao Clan, am pleased with the offered gifts and have decided to accept your suit. Here are the courting gifts I have chosen, in order to honour my suitor.”

 

Ling gestured, and Mei came forward, holding the red box in her hands. Greed eagerly popped open the catch and peered inside. The first thing he noticed was a pair of dark glasses. The round kind, his favourite. And, the rims were made from gold, if he wasn’t mistaken. He gave an appreciative grin, and looked at the second gift. A Xingese calligraphy set, complete with different kinds of brushes and inks.

 

“For you to improve your terrible Xingese.”

 

“Very funny, you little pissant.”

 

The last gift was perfect. A genuine leather wallet, with a comfortable wad of money inside it

 

“Good choice, Ling”  Greed was about to close the box, when Ling cleared his throat.

 

“There’s one more gift, from both me and Lan Fan.”

 

Greed looked back inside the box and frowned. He couldn’t see anything in—he sucked in a sharp breath. With shaking fingers he reached into the box and grabbed the tiny matchbox. It wasn’t much—a plain purple matchbox, with a badly-drawn devil on it, and the words “the Devil’s Nest” written in green across it.

 

It was worth more to him than all the gold in Xing.

 

“Is it the right one? We’ve been asking everyone we know to try and find it, but—”

 

“It is. It’s perfect. Thanks, Ling.”

 

He cleared his throat, and blinked back the stinging in his eyes.

 

“I gratefully accept your gifts. They are most welcome.” Greed bowed deeply, and walked away from the dais with a slight swagger.

 

Now, it was official—he’d just landed the two best possessions in Xing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Ling has presented the courtship suits. I hope everyone liked my choice of the gifts, and how I had the presentation go. Let my know what you thought of this.
> 
> And, if you are celebrating Easter this weekend, may it be a blessed one. 
> 
> All the best!


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it's been a while since I updated, but here's the next chapter.

Lan Fan hurried through the corridor as she returned to her post. Her run had taken longer than usual this morning. She hadn’t meant for it to, but she’d been so happy, she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going—and it didn’t help that both Al and Greed had decided to forgo the run. If either of them had been running with her, she might have been forced to pay attention to her surroundings. But, they hadn’t and so her thoughts were allowed to spin giddily inside her brain. She was courting Ling. She was courting Greed. She had them both! She could be excused if she wasn’t as attentive as usual. By the time she’d returned to reality, she was far away from the Imperial Palace. She sped back but by the time she’d returned, the sun had already risen over the horizon, and banished all the shadows.

 

She bolted up one of the staircases, and down to the corridor where the Emperor’s rooms were.

 

“Oh, hell yeah!”

 

Lan Fan froze for a second, and her eyes widened.

 

_Were they . . . ?_

 

She ran faster down the corridor, thinking that if they were doing— _that—_ then she was going to smack them into next week for excluding her! They were _supposed_ to do that together for the first time. They’d even made a pact about it. When she reached the Emperor’s chambers, she saw that the two guards outside were looking extremely uncomfortable.

 

“Leave,” she ordered, and the guards were only too happy to obey.

 

She took a deep breath, slid the screen door back, and peered inside. She blinked a few times—and then she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. Greed was in his boxers, true, but he was wearing his leather coat over it, and had his new glasses perched on his nose. He was busy striking various poses in front of the full-length mirror. Ling was standing directly beside him, in a fur-ruffed vest, black leather pants, and wrist straps. He was also modelling the clothes. Lan Fan shook her head fondly, and leant against the doorframe.

 

They were putting on a _really_ good show.

 

“Greed, you sure I’m wearing these straps right? They feel a little strange.” Ling tugged at the leather straps as he spoke.

 

“You’re just too used to wearing the _sarashi_ bands on your wrists. You’ll get used to them.”

 

Greed looked at the mirror again. “Damn, I look fine.”

 

“We look pretty sexy.”

 

“Though, your body looked sexier when I was wearing it.”

 

“ _It’s the same body!_ ”

 

“Whatever.”  Greed let out a chuckle. “Lan Fan’s a lucky girl—she’s got the two sexiest men in Xing on her arms.”

 

“Can’t wait to see her reaction when we turn up for dinner wearing her gifts.”

 

They were wearing their gifts? For her? She bit her lip, and glanced down at her automail arm.

 

If they were wearing their gifts then . . .

 

_I’m going to need Mei and Winry’s help._

 

_*****_

 

This was ridiculous! She looked ridiculous! She should run back to her chambers and forget this whole idea. She tried to centre herself. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. She felt her anxiety ease—until she remembered how she’d looked in the mirror. In her mind’s eye, she could see herself as she had appeared in the mirror. The purple silk dress hugged her curves, and the gold embroidery was designed to accentuate the muscles in her legs and her flat stomach. Greed’s weaponised hair ornaments had been used to twist her dark hair into an elegant knot on the top of her head. Winry had replaced her automail arm with her new one. The entire thing was so light—she barely noticed that it was there.  What she did notice, though, was that her hands were shaking.

 

_Come on. You’ve faced worse than this. It’s only Ling and Greed on the other side of the door. And Ed, Al, Winry and Mei. And you know Winry will smack Ed with a wrench if he teases you too much._

 

She pushed the door open slightly and glanced inside. As she suspected, they all were there. Greed was already tucking into a _zongzi_ , and Ling was talking to Winry. Al and Mei were standing off to one side. Ed had his nose in an alchemy book, and was frowning at it. The table was already laid, and there were plenty of steaming dishes on the wooden table. The windows had been opened, and the balmy summer hair wafted in, stirring the aroma of the food into the air. She caught the faintest scrap of scent and her mouth watered.  Lan Fan took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

 

“I’m sorry I’m late”

 

Everyone turned to stare at her. Ling’s eyes flew open and he gaped at her. Greed chocked on his zongzi, and Winry had to thump him hard on the back.

 

“ _Lan Fan?!”_

 

Then, as one,  Ling and Greed rushed over to her, nearly colliding with each other in their haste.

 

“You look stunning, Lan Fan. Absolutely beautiful!”

 

“Stuff beautiful. She fucking sexy as hell!”

 

She felt the heat rush to her face, and it was only made worse by the fact that first Greed, then Ling decided to kiss her in front of everyone.

 

“M-maybe we should eat?”  Lan Fan gasped, trying to maintain some semblance of normality.

 

Though, their reactions were _very gratifying._

 

“Why? You in such a rush to ditch your boyfriends?” Mei teased.

 

“She’s going to have a hard time of doing that,” Ling said.

 

“This is very sweet,” Ed said dryly, “but I’m hungry, and if we don’t eat soon, we’ll have to deal with two collapsed members of the royal family.”

 

Lan Fan gave Ling a sharp look. “Haven’t you eaten today?”

 

Ling gave a sheepish smile. “We were in a library and  . . .” he faltered at the dangerous glare she sent him. “I’ll eat a good meal tonight, I promise.”

 

“Hey, Toots. You planning something in the bedroom that we’ll need _lots_ of energy for? Something that involves moonflower tea?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Should I eat up as well?”

 

Her eyes widened at the implication. “No! Nothing like that!”

 

Her face felt like it was on fire. Winry and Mei were clinging to each other and shaking with laughter, while Al and Ed were pretending very hard that they couldn’t hear the conversation.

 

“So, erm. Food.” She almost bolted to the table and started serving the food. First Ling, then Mei, followed by Greed and then Ed, Al and Winry. Of course, she served herself last, but she dug into her food with eagerness. Mainly, because it gave her an excuse not to respond to Greed’s increasingly sexual comments. Still, she liked the feeling of Greed’s hand on her thigh, and the way Ling’s fingers traced delicate circles of the back on her hand as they ate.

 

For a while, all that could be heard was the sound of the appreciate grunts as they relished the food. The table was silent for a few moments, as everyone ate. There were steamed pork dumplings, bamboo and vegetable stir-fry, pieces of smoked fish, spiced rice—all of Lan Fan’s favourite foods were there.

 

Suddenly, Al cleared his throat. “Mei and I have been talking for a while now, and well . . .  we’re thinking of leaving the Imperial Palace.”

 

“Where do you want to go, Al?”

 

“We were thinking of visiting Mei’s Clan. It’s not too far away, and they are extremely skilled at alkahestry, so  a study of their techniques could be quite useful in our Chimera reversal research.”

 

“Great idea, Al!” Ed said. “I’d love to see that.”

 

“I’d love to see more of Xing,” Winry added, as she nibbled at a zongzi.

 

Her plate was piled almost as high as Ling’s. Now that her pregnancy was common knowledge, Winry wasn’t embarrassed to eat as much as she wanted. Lan Fan privately thought that Winry could probably out-eat Ling, if she wanted. Though, the last thing Lan Fan wanted to do was suggest an eating contest.

 

“Why don’t we all go?” Ling suggested, bringing Lan Fan’s thoughts back to the conversation.

 

“Isn’t that a bit irresponsible for the Emperor to bunk work?” Ed teased.

 

“Not really. The Representatives of each Clan can take votes on any matters that arise in my absence, and I can reject or ratify their decisions when I return. And, they can reach me at the Chang Clan if they desperately need me. Besides, I need to be amongst my people so that they can approach me directly if they need to.”

 

“It sounds like we have a—”

 

“No.”

 

Everyone stared at Lan Fan. She met their gazes squarely.

 

“It’s too risky. We won’t be able to give you adequate protection while we’re travelling, Ling. Especially since the Pure Xingese are still at large. Until we have them capture or eliminated, it’s too dangerous to risk the Emperor’s health like that. You should stay here.”

 

“You worry too much.”

 

“Come on, Toots. What’s the worst that could happen?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed seeing everyone wearing their courting gifts--and that you liked Ling and Greed's reaction to Lan Fan's new automail and dress.
> 
> The next chapter might be a while in coming, since work has really got me bogged down right now, so I apologise in advance for the delay!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so after another really stressful week, I decided to relax by uploading the next chapter. 
> 
> I've been thinking, and I realise that we're almost to the end of the stroy. Wow, it's been alot of fun writing for you guys. So, I want to let you know that I'm going to try and finish the fic by mid-July. 
> 
> My reasoning is that I have a huge set of exams in August, so I won't be able to write as much, and I don't want to leave you all hanging on the story. So, I'll finish it up, and hopefully I can return in September with something new. 
> 
> So, on with the show.

Greed huffed a frustrated breath as he stalked down the corridor towards Ling’s rooms. He didn’t mind travelling—it was _packing_ that was the damn problem. Packing meant that he had to leave some of _his things_ behind. Although he knew he’d be coming back to the Imperial Palace at some point, anything could happen to his things while he was gone.

 

_Maybe I’ll ask Ling if he can find me another one of those secret compartments where I can leave all my stuff?_

 

It was worth a shot. If he locked up everything, there was less chance of something getting damaged.  He pushed open the screen door, and froze.

 

“What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. With. My. Things,” he snarled.

 

Mei and Al jumped. They spun around, and Greed clearly saw the pages from _his_ book clutched in Mei’s hands.

 

“Greed! I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

 

“Don’t you know it’s not polite to touch people’s private shit?”

 

He slammed the screen door shut behind him, and folded his arms as he glared at them.

 

“It was my fault, Greed,” Al said.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah. Brother said that you might need help with packing, so Mei and I thought we’d come and lend you a hand. But, you weren’t here, and while we were waiting I saw Martel’s name on the papers, and I couldn’t help myself.”

 

He looked away from both of them as he spoke. Greed felt some of his anger fade as he caught sight of Al’s expression. He looked . . . haunted. Still . . .

 

Greed snorted. “Yeah right. Pull another one, Tinman.”

 

“It’s true. I’ve been wanting to find out as much about the Chimeras as I could, because . . .”

 

“Because why?”

 

Al sucked in a shaky breath, and Mei put her hand on his arm to steady him.

 

“I have Martel’s memories inside my head.”

 

“ _What?!_ What do you mean, you have her memories? _”_

 

“I mean, I remember some things, as if I’d been Martel.”

 

“That’s not possible.”

 

Al raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you always say “Nothing’s impossible”?”

 

“Don’t rub that in my face. There’s no way you could have her memories.”

 

“How about I prove it to you?”

 

Greed raised an eyebrow. “All right. Prove it.”

 

Al folded his arms. “ Right after you brought the Chimeras back to the Nest, you found out that Martel had tried to re-connect with her fiancé and he’d rejected her for being a Chimera. As payback, you lead the other Chimera to his house, and killed him. You found out about her fiancé because you found her curled up on the floor of the basement, and crying. She never told anyone, and neither did you.”

 

Greed gaped at him. “But—But—how—“

 

“Believe me now?”

 

Greed nodded mutely. Fuck, the kid really did have her memories. No fucking wonder he wanted to learn more about her.

 

“But, Alphonse, how did you get her memories?” Mei asked.

 

“Wrath killed Martel while she was inside my armour, and her blood splattered my blood-seal.” Bile surged up Greed’s throat, as he fought to stay in the moment. Fought not to remember those damn sewers, and Martel’s screams.

 

Al looked away.  “ It was how I learnt to do transmutations without an array. But, I ended up with some of her memories inside my head. Not all of them, just . . . some. The labs. The time she spent at the Nest. Even some of her experiences during her military campaigns. They weren’t always clear—but they were there. It got worse after I got my body back. I had nightmares about her. That’s why Ed sat with me at nights.”

 

“Oh, Alphonse,” Mei said softly, and squeezed his arm.

 

Greed sighed.  “Fine. I get it now. Just, hand them over,” Greed said, and Mei passed him his papers.

 

He quickly rifled through them, checking that they were all there, and placed them back on the desk.

 

“Next time you wanna touch my stuff, ask first,” Greed said.

 

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

 

“We’re sorry, but . . . can we hear more about them?” Mei asked.

 

“What?”

 

“Could you read to us from your book?”

 

“Do I look like a babysitter? I don’t do that crap.”

 

“Yeah. Back when the Devil’s Nest crew would swap stories, Greed would always be the last one to speak—he preferred making comments on the others’ stories to telling his own.”

 

“How the fuck did you know that?”

 

Al tapped his temple. “Martel’s memories, remember? She really liked those nights when everyone would huddle together and reminisce. She would have never admitted it aloud, though.”

 

Greed took a shaky breath.

 

“All, right. Fine.”

 

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. 

 

Mei beamed. “Great.”

 

She rushed over to the low table, and sat on one of the cushions. She motioned for Al to join her, and looked eagerly at Greed as Al sat down.

 

_I know I’m gonna regret this._

 

Greed sighed, and went over to Ling’s desk. He rifled through the pages as he tried to decide what to read. Definitely not the breakout from the alchemical labs, or Wrath’s raid on the Nest. Maybe the time he’d learnt to make pancakes? No. Maybe the time he’d caught Dolcetto chasing a cat in the road? Or the time he’d refereed a wrestling match between Roa and Ulchi? In the end, Greed grabbed all the papers and flopped down onto a cushion opposite the couple.

 

As he picked up the first paper, he frowned.

 

“Before we start, I just have one question: why the hell did the Runt want you to help me with packing?”

 

“Brother said that if you didn’t have help, you’d try to bring the entire Imperial Palace along on our trip.”

 

That was true enough. When he’d been packing for his trip to Xing with the Elrics, there had been multiple fights between Ed and Greed over what Greed could and couldn’t bring. It was only when Winry had started threatening both of them with her wrench did they manage to agree on Greed’s luggage. He’d still ended up bring three more cases than they’d agreed upon, much to Ed’s frustration.

 

“I managed to pack what I needed from my rooms. The rest of my shit is in here.” He waved a hand at Ling’s chambers.

 

“We’ll sort it out once we’re done here,” Mei said. “Now, read!”

 

“Geez, have some patience, Half-Pint,” Greed muttered, and he started to read.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically just Greed, Mei and Al bonding. I love writing Greed interacting with Mei.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed it.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this week. Giddy Aunt, I can't even describe what this week was. Just glad it's over. Though, I met up with an old friend on Friday, which was great. 
> 
> Btw, I'm thinking of doing a series of short one shots, simply because I have too many ideas in my head that could be made into a short one shot, but aren't long enough to make a long story. The title at the moment is "Melange"--mixture in French. So, if anyone has an idea or wants me to include something, I'm open to suggestions (I plan to make it 49 one shots long i.e. 7 x 7)

Despite her protests, the trip to the Chang Clan’s complex proceeded as planned. The travelling hadn’t been as terrible as Lan Fan had feared—though they had run into several issues.  The route to the Chang complex was mountainous, and hadn’t been renovated for automobiles, so the entire group had been forced to rely on horses to travel. Winry, Ed and Al, having lived on a farm, were competent horsemen, as were Ling, Mei and Lan Fan. Greed was the only one who’d never really ridden before. Worse still, finding a horse that would tolerate him had been difficult. They all shied away and panicked whenever he got near one. Greed had told them all if he heard anyone mention anything to do with the words ”rancid, “vile” and “qi”, he would impale them. They’d eventually found him a sturdy mare who would let him ride her. And, watching Greed stagger about, bandy-legged after a day’s ride, while Ling and Ed mocked him became one of the highlights of the trip.

 

The group had decided to take it slow—mainly because Winry got tired easily. But, Lan Fan didn’t mind—the landscape was beautiful enough to warrant a slow pace.The mountain passes they used were sometimes difficult in winter, because of the harsher snowstorms the area received, but, at the tail-end of summer, the area was still lush with vegetation. Trees and bushes clung to the mountainsides, and shaded the road with their green canopy. Birds and insects filled the air with natural melodies, and more than once Lan Fan caught the musical sounds of running water. The air was crisp , and refreshing. But, it was really the company that made the trip so amazing for her. As they rode, the group swapped stories, and jokes, or Greed tried to teach them rude songs. Though, Ed had tried, more than once, to throttle Greed and Ling when they made comments about Ed’s sex life. Lan Fan was quite content to allow Ed to hit Ling once or twice—a liberty she wouldn’t allow anyone else—as long as the injuries weren’t too serious.

 

 ****

 

 “There it is!” Mei cried and pointed.

 

Lan Fan gaze followed Mei’s finger to an archway made from carved wood. It stood out from the dull, grey rock face that rose up on either side of the trail. There were ornate carvings on the arch, as well as the traditional Xingese words of welcome. Lan Fan could see that the carvings had been made from jade, and decorated with real gold. The carvings were obviously of the four sacred Xingese animals: tiger, dragon, turtle and phoenix.

 

“This archway marks the border of my clan’s lands. Once we pass through this archway, we just need to go through the canyon and we’ll be at my Clan’s main complex. Oh, I can’t wait to see everyone!”

 

“Can we have a rest first?” Winry asked, as she slipped from her saddle. “I’m exhausted.”

 

She staggered over and collapsed onto a boulder. Ed immediately leapt from his horse and rushed to her side.

 

“What’s wrong, Win? Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?”

 

“I’m just tired, Ed.”

 

“Oh no! Have I been pushing us too hard?” Mei exclaimed.

 

She climbed down from her horse, and went to Winry. Lan Fan could see there was a horrified expression on Mei’s face.

 

“Yep.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Mei,” Al said, as he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We all knew you were just excited about going home.”

 

“But . . .”

 

“You know what, Mei?” Winry said. “Why don’t you and Al go on ahead? The rest of us will meet up with you in a little while.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Mei bit her lip. “Okay. I’ll leave Xiao Mei with you, so she can guide you through the canyon.”

 

“We’re going to take directions from a panda?” Greed asked incredulously.

 

Ling stomped on his foot.

 

“Yeaoch! What did you do that for, you little pissant?”

 

“Be nice, Greed.”

 

“Excuse me? I’m always nice!”

 

Ed snorted and Greed glared at him.

 

“Something funny?”

 

“Yeah. I thought you didn’t believe in telling lies?”

 

“Could we discuss this later?” Winry asked. “You’re wasting our time.”

 

“Sorry, Peaches. But, your husband started it.”

 

“I’ll end it too, if you don’t shut your trap, Greed.”

 

Winry sighed. “Escape while you can, Mei.”

 

Mei laughed. “Will do.”

 

Mei climbed back onto her horse, and Al did the same. They both waved, and galloped into the canyon. Lan Fan watched them go, and then began breathing deeply. At once, her sense of qi flared up, and she was able to track them until they were further away. She looked about warily. Although the path went through a canyon, it certainly wasn’t an infertile environment. Trees, ferns, and other foliage clung to the sides of the canyon, and most of the plants were covered in moss. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her waist.

 

“What’s the bet that the two of them decide to make a short pit-stop before they get to the Chang Complex? You know. . . so they can get _intimately_ acquainted with each other,” Greed said in a low voice.

 

“If they do, it’s their business, Greed.”

 

“Yeah, but it would be funny to see Ling and the Runt’s faces if that happened.”

 

Lan Fan didn’t want to admit he had a point.

 

“Hey, you guys coming?” Ed asked from his saddle.

 

Lan Fan nodded, and leapt lightly onto her horse.  She took up her customary position just behind Ling. Greed was riding on his other side. Ed and Winry were leading, guided by the firm gestures of Xiao Mei, who was perched on top of Winry’s horse’s head. Lan Fan looked around. The canyon was wide enough for the horses to walk comfortably alongside each other, and the foliage meant that they were all pleasantly shaded.. There was the sound of running water nearby, so Lan Fan guessed that the canyon had once had a swift river running through it. It was a beautiful place.

 

So, why were her hairs standing on end?

 

She strained her senses. She couldn’t hear or see anything unusual. But, something was wrong. She frowned, as they suddenly came out into a portion of the canyon that was free of any large foliage—though the canyon walls were covered with a thick, moss-like plant. Then, she realised. Birdsong. There was no birdsong. Lan Fan went cold, and tried to concentrate. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Her qi sense told her that there was a large mass of people approaching. And, above her there were several presences. The way they were arranged made it almost seem like—”

 

“AMBUSH!” she yelled.

 

She tackled Ling, sending him flying off his horse. Even as they fell, she heard the animal scream as bullets peppered its flank. She grabbed Ling, threw him over her shoulder and let off one of her smoke bombs.

 

“WINRY!”

 

“ED! WHERE ARE YOU?”

 

“LAN FAN! LING! ANSWER ME!”

 

Lan Fan grabbed Greed’s hand. He’d pulled up his Ultimate Shield, so his skin was stone-hard, and cold to the touch.

 

“Follow me!” she shouted.

 

She ran forward, staggering under Ling’s weight. He was yelling at her, but she ignored him. She sensed Greed grab Ed, who was holding Winry. Bullets still sprayed into the smog cloud. They needed to find shelter. Then, she smelt the chemical stench of alkahestry, and saw a flash of blue light. Something scrambled up her arm, and tugged on her ear. It was Xiao Mei.

 

“This way!”  Lan Fan led them to the crack in the wall. She threw Ling inside, shoved Winry and Ed in with him, and then ordered Greed to protect them.

 

She ignored their outraged cries as she let off another smoke bomb. She used the cover from the smoke, and hurtled up the canyon wall towards the first qi presence. The mossy plant provided her with the perfect natural ladder for her ascension. She ignored the few shrubs that tore at her skin as she raced upwards towards the attackers. She caught sight of her first targets in one of the bushes—their green-and-brown uniforms made it difficult to see them, but the gleam of the barrels of their rifles were easy to spot. The first sniper didn’t have a chance to defend himself as she rammed her blade through his mouth. She yanked it free, and at the same time, she flung one of her hair ornaments at the other sniper. A gurgling cry told her that it found its mark—she’d have to tell Greed that they worked beautifully—but she didn’t have time to check, as a blade came hissing through the air towards her. She ducked, bringing her arm up to parry, and she leapt back. She caught movement in the corner of her eye, and dodged again, as another man with a sword tried to cut her.

_How many are there?_ She tried to concentrate, but she couldn’t focus on her sense of qi while the two bladesmen attacked her. She could still hear the snipers emptying rounds into the canyon. She had to take them out. One of the bladesmen tried to attack her head, even as the other aimed a low slice at her legs. She barely managed to dodge. she moved without conscious thought into the various blocks and counterattacks that Grandfather had drilled into her. She had to use her automail to deflect their strikes, but it wasn't always enough. Soon, she had several shallow cuts spitting blood onto the floor. The bladesmen were good—and worse, they’d trained together. Which meant that she’d need a new strategy. Instead of jumping back to avoid their next attacks, she leapt forward, inside their guards. At this close range, their longer weapons were a hindrance. She tore open the one man’s abdomen with the new blade on her forearm, and rammed her second hair ornament into the other man’s chest. Her first victim clutched at his stomach, and tried to bring up his sword for a counter, but she disarmed him with her retractable blade. As he tried to draw something from his belt—probably a throwing knife—she sliced open the man’s throat. His body crumpled.

 

Suddenly, pain ripped through her flesh arm. She screamed and spun around, even as another blade bit deep into her side. Three more bladesmen were there, guarding the remaining snipers. One of the attacker’s swords dripped blood. Her blood.

_Damnit!_

Fear clawed up her throat, as she remembered the last time her arm had been injured like this, when Wrath had—she wrenched her thoughts away from those memories, and just managed to bring her automail up in time to block the first thrust. Her world dissolved into parry, block, duck, twist, as she barely managed to stay ahead of the attacks. She could feel the breeze as the blades passed near her skin—and once or twice, she hissed as the bladesmen managed to cut her. She couldn’t keep this up forever. Sooner or, later, someone would make a mistake.

 

She hoped it wouldn’t be her.

 

Then, she saw it. One of the bladesmen overextended as he tried to slice her open. She darted forward, and kicked him hard in the solar plexus. He staggered backwards, gasping for air and fell into the canyon with a scream. The other two bladesmen charged forward, but she ignored them as she dodged, focusing instead on the sniper she now had clearly in view. He was still aiming into the canyon, and firing bullet after bullet. She threw her remaining kunai, and felt a vicious satisfaction as the sniper slumped. Then, she was forced to focus on the fight, by a slash that nearly cleaved her open. she deflected the first strike and barely managed to counter the second. The two bladesmen sliced at her, forcing her back , towards the edge of the canyon. As one of them tried to carve her open, Lan Fan grabbed the blade, and snapped it by twisting her wrist.  She then rammed her clawed fingers through his chest. The last bladesman tried to stab her, but she performed the same manoeuvre and snapped his blade as well. The man dropped the hilt, and grabbed Lan Fan’s flesh arm in a lock. The pain from her injury made her head spin. Then, she recognised the lock. It was the same lock she had once tried to use on Ed. She almost smiled as she threw herself backwards and sent him flying over the lip of the canyon. 

 

She lay there for a second. Pain radiated from her wounds, and blackness teased at the edges of her vision. But, she then sensed it. A group of qis moving towards her friends. She gritted her teeth, and rolled onto her stomach. She couldn’t pass out. Not now. She pushed herself up, and looked down into the canyon. She could see her friends, surrounded by a few bodies. Greed was wearing his full Ultimate Shield, and Ling was wiping his Dao sword clean of blood. He was favouring one leg, though. Ed looked pale, and was holding a sobbing Winry. Then, coming through the canyon, she saw a group of horsemen, charging towards her friends.

 

She opened her mouth to call out a warning—and stopped. The ground beneath her started to shake. She could hear a roaring. She looked up. There was a huge mass of water hurtling towards her friends.

 

“No!” she screamed.

 

Too late. The monstrous wave crashed into them, and they disappeared into its frothing jaws. She stared in horror.

 

No.

No!

 

NO!

 

This couldn’t happen! Not Winry and Ed! Not Greed! Not Ling! They weren’t supposed to die! They couldn’t be dead! An animal howl ripped out of her throat. They couldn’t be gone. They couldn’t! They—Then, she noticed it—the faintest blue-white light flickering beneath the surging water. She chocked down her screams, and clutched the edge of the canyon as she watched.  The light grew brighter, and brighter, and a huge stone fist emerged from the water. Water gushed off the rough fingers, and down the thick wrist.

 

_Please . . . please . . ._

 

The fist slowly unclenched and revealed Ed, Winry, Ling, Greed and Xiao Mei all in the centre of its palm.

 

Safe. They were all safe.

 

Relief slammed into her. Her world tilted sideways suddenly, and the blackness rose up.  She realised she was smiling as the darkness caught her.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise. I apologise so much, but this was the only point that I could cut off the chapter. I hope you'll forgive me.
> 
> As always, I'd live to know what you think.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. Sorry for the horrible, horrible cliff-hanger!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the next chapter.
> 
> Btw I have been thinking of doing a series of one Shots, called "Melange" and I'm looking for ideas about what to include. If anyone has any suggestions, just drop me a comment.

Ling looked around.  The healing room he’d been assigned was similar to the hundreds of ones he’d seen over the years. Wooden walls, and floor, a low, comfortable futon, and shelves with medical equipment, bandages and medication running along all the walls. The window was open, and sunlight spilt into the room, along with fresh air that helped dissipate the smell of antiseptic. Out the window, he could see the mountain ranges and mist-filled valleys that made up the lands of the Chang Clan. Ordinarily, he would have been excited to see a new part of Xing. Now, though, he wanted nothing more than to go back to his Palace with his entire group safe and healthy. He shifted, and his leg twinged.

 

He groaned. It was such a stupid injury. He’d been fighting off two swordsmen, and hadn’t noticed the man with the bo behind him until the man rammed the end of the staff into Ling’s foot. The bones shattered. Ling had impaled the man in retaliation, before finishing off the two swordsmen, but it didn’t change the fact that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Fu would have clobbered him for failing to notice an attacker. Ling gingerly rolled onto his side and got to his feet. Mei had healed the broken bones, but warned him that if he didn’t rest, his  foot might not recover properly. Pain shot up his leg, but he gritted his teeth, and adjusted his weight so that the majority of it rested on his uninjured leg. He took a few hesitant steps, and smiled grimly.

 

_I may not be able to move fast, but I’ll be able to get to Lan Fan._

Before Ling managed to reach the screen door, it slid open and Greed stepped into the room. He scowled at Ling.

 

“What are you doing, you dumbass? Mei told you that you had to rest your leg.”

 

Ling glared at him. “I’m going to see Lan Fan.”

 

“No, you’re not.”

 

With that, Greed lunged forward and scooped Ling into his arms. Ling let out a squawk of protest.

 

“Greed, what are you doing?”

 

“Making sure you don’t put any weight on that leg.”

 

“Greed, let me go!”

 

Greed ignored him. He crossed the room and sat down on one of the chairs, Ling held securely in his lap.

 

“You’re staying here.”

 

“Like hell I am!

 

Ling squirmed, trying to break Greed’s grip. He wished he had his sword—that would make Greed let go quickly. Greed only tightened his hold, and as Ling opened his mouth to yell at Greed, he caught sight of Greed’s agonised expression.

 

“Greed?” Without thinking, he reached out and cupped the homunculus’ cheek.

 

Greed’s breathing hitched, and he screwed up his eyes. He pressed his face into Ling’s collarbone. His shoulders started to shake, and a small patch of wetness formed on Ling’s shoulder. Ling hesitated, then slowly ran his hand through Greed’s hair.

 

“Greed, it’s o—”

 

“If you say  “okay”, I swear I’ll throttle you myself.” Greed’s voice was hoarse. “There’s nothing about this that’s okay. You could have died! Lan Fan could have died!”

 

Ling dug his fingers into Greed’s shoulders and forced Greed to look at him.

 

“But, I’m fine. And Lan Fan” Ling chocked as his own fears surged through him. “Lan Fan will be fine.”

 

“You little pissant, how can you be calm? You nearly—”

 

Ling cut off Greed’s words with his lips, willing Greed to realise that Ling was safe, and it would take more than a few stupid assassins to make Ling let go of people he cared about. People like Greed and Lan Fan. As he kissed Greed, he tasted Greed’s fear, and it prompted Ling to kiss harder. After several moments, they broke apart, gasping, and Ling stroked Greed’s hair.

 

“Greed, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got too much to keep me here. I have my throne, my friends,  Lan Fan, and” he kissed Greed again, briefly. “I have you.”

 

Greed’s mouth twitched, and he wiped his eyes. “I should have known you were too greedy to let go of anything, partner.”

 

“Yeah. Now, speaking of letting go, can you let _me_ go so I can get to Lan Fan?”

 

“Me? Let go?” Greed tightened his grip. “Not on your life. Besides, there’s no need.” Greed stood up, easily lifting Ling. “We’ll go together, partner. Though, no one is being allowed into Lan Fan’s rooms . . .”

 

“No problem. I’ll just order them to let me in. It’s one of the benefits of being Emperor.”

 

Greed chuckled and carried him towards the screen door. Suddenly a thought occurred to Ling. “You know, maybe I should get injured more often so you can carry me around? My own personal carthorse.”

 

“Call me that again, and I’ll drop you on your ass.”

 

***

 

Ling held Lan Fan’s automail hand in both of his. The confidence he’d shown earlier had evaporated. He kept his gaze focused on the steady rise and fall of her chest, and on the locket that shifted slightly with each breath. He knew it was ridiculous, but there was a part of him that was convinced that if he looked away, even for a second, that her breathing would stop. His anxiety wasn’t lessened at all by the fact that Greed was in the room with him, pacing back and forth. Every few second he would pause, send a worried glance over to where Lan Fan lay and continue pacing. The alkahestrists had done a great job in patching her up—led of course, by Mei.  She was the one who had organised for Lan Fan to be placed in one of the best sick rooms in the Chang complex—it was a large room, with a soft futon, and plenty of chairs for guests to sit on. There were shelves built into the wooden walls, and they sagged from the weight of the various medicines, bandages and other medical supplies.

 

“Greed, sit down. You’re making me dizzy,” Ling said, but there was no heat to it.

 

“How the fuck can you just sit there? Someone tried to kill you! Someone tried to kill Lan Fan!”

 

“Exactly. That’s why my priority is to see that she’s okay, and then I can think about ripping apart the people who did this to her.”

 

“Fuck.” Greed threw himself down onto the floor next to him. Greed covered his face with his hands. “Fuck, I can’t deal with this. Damnit, does that woman have no sense of self-preservation?!”

 

“She puts her own well-fare below that of everyone else.”

 

“Well, she should—”

 

The screen door slid open. Ling looked up and saw Mei standing in the doorway, with Xiao Mei perched on her head.  Mei’s braids looked dishevelled, and her eyes were red and swollen. She was clutching a letter in her hands.

 

“Hey,” she said.

 

“Hey, Half-pint.”

 

“I’m sorry to disturb, but a letter came for you, Ling. It’s from Wu’s daughter, Jianying.”

 

She walked over and handed it to him. Ling wordlessly took the letter and set it down on the floor.

 

“I can’t concentrate, Mei.”

 

“You two should get some rest.”  Her eyes flicked over Ling’s bandaged leg.  “I’ll keep watch.”

 

“No,” they said, together.

 

“Come on. You’ve been here the whole day. And Ling, you shouldn’t sit with your legs folded. You might irritate the wound.”

 

“There isn’t really a wound anymore, Mei. You healed it yourself. Besides, I’m not leaving till Lan Fan wakes up.”

 

“That makes two of us.”

 

Mei looked at them, and then bit her lip. She sniffled.

 

“I’m sorry, Ling. Greed. This is all my fault.”

 

They stared at her. “What?”

 

“This is my fault. If I hadn’t suggested this stupid trip, then we’d never have ended up in that ambush, and Lan Fan wouldn’t have injured herself.” Tears coursed down Mei’s face, and Xiao Mei dropped to her shoulder to try and wipe them away.. “I’m so sorry, Ling!”

 

Ling struggled to his feet, ignoring the  pain shooting up his leg gave as he put weight on it. He pulled Mei into a tight hug, and let her sob into his chest. He was careful, however, not to crush Xiao Mei as he did so.

 

“Why is it that you’re always trying to drown yourself, huh? This isn’t your fault. If anything . . . I’m to blame. I should’ve listened to Lan Fan when she said it was dangerous. I’m a pretty pathetic Emperor, aren’t I?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Mei pulled back so she could stare at him.

 

“A King is supposed to protect his people, yet all I seem to do is get them hurt.”

 

Lan Fan. Fu. Even Greed, though that had ended happily. And now, Lan Fan again.

 

_I’m lucky that nothing really bad happened to her, or I’d never be able to forgive myself._

 

“All right. Enough of this crap,” Greed said, as he glared at the two of them. “The only person to blame is that bastard son of a bitch who arranged the ambush.”

 

“And when we find him, we’ll make him pay for every injury done to Lan Fan.”

 

Greed sheathed his arm in his Ultimate Shield and flexed his claws. “Bet on it, partner.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, so here were have a very worried Emperor, a guilty Mei, and a guilty and angry Greed, as well as an injured Lan Fan.
> 
> We're getting close to the end . . . giddy aunt, it's kinda sad. I've enjoyed writing for you all so much.


	38. Chapter 38

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lan Fan became aware of her surroundings. The smell of antiseptic in the air, mingling with the chemical scent of alkahestry. The feeling of coarse bandages around her torso, and the weight of her locket around her neck. The sheets wrapped around her. The dim sound of half-familiar voices near her. There was a dull ache in her shoulder, and worse than that was the pain in her side. She forced herself to remain calm. Grandfather always warned both her and Ling that, when you wake up in unfamiliar territory, the first thing to do was to remain calm and assess the situation.  With this thought in mind, she heaved her eyes open. The world was blurry, but she could make out two gold smudges. The sun? _Two suns_? That didn’t make sense. She frowned, and slowly the suns condensed themselves into two familiar golden-haired figures. Ed and Al.

 

Ed leant over her with a relieved smile on his face. “Hey, how are you? Is there anything we can do? How do you feel?”

 

“Like Gluttony sat on me.”

 

“Did you just make a joke?”

 

“Yes. . . I must have hit my head when I collapsed. Is everyone—”

 

“Everyone is fine. Mei’s seen to whatever injuries there were, as well as all the accommodations and everything. Right now we’re in the healing chambers of the Chang Clan,” Al told her.

 

Healing chambers? That was why she could smell antiseptic, and herbs in the air. It also explained why she was in a comfortable futon, and not still sprawled on the edge of the canyon. Ed and Al watched her with worried eyes.

 

She smiled weakly at them. “This . . . seems familiar.”

 

Ed chuckled. “Yeah, let’s just hope that there aren’t any defective portals of Truth around. I really don’t want to feed more shoes to Ling.”

 

“Are you sure  everyone—“

 

“Everyone’s _fine_. Don’t worry.”

 

Relief washed through her. “How?”

 

“Xiao Mei,” Al said.

 

“ _Xiao Mei?”_

 

“Yep. Apparently the panda knows how to do alkahestry. She created the fist that grabbed us as the water came down the canyon,” Ed said. “It lifted us to safety, just in time for us to see you collapse. Greed jumped into the water, and swam to get you. Ling wanted to go to, but he injured his leg and—”

 

“Ling is injured?!”

 

Lan Fan pushed down with her automail hand, trying to force herself into a seated position. Her limbs felt like water. She had to check on him. She _knew_ that the assassins had hurt him. Damnit, why was she so useless?! What kind of Imperial Guard let their charge get injured?

 

“Woah! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ed demanded.

 

Al grabbed her and gently pushed her back down, despite her attempts to get up. “You need to rest,” he said firmly. “Brother, I told you not to tell her.”

 

“It just slipped out!”

 

“Let me go. I have to check on Ling.” She tried to fight Al’s gentle force, but he held her down easily.

 

“You can’t go anywhere right now,“ he said.

 

“But, Ling—”

 

“Is fine.” Ed said. “The moron is right here.”

 

Ed stepped aside, and gestured behind him. Lan Fan’s eyes were immediately drawn to one of the chairs pulled up against the wooden wall. Ling was curled up like a cat, and snoring softly. His left leg was bound tightly in bandages and his face looked haggard.

 

“He’s going to get a stiff neck, sleeping like that,” she murmured.

 

“Try telling him that. He won’t leave the room, at all. I think this is the first time he’s actually slept since you’ve been in here.

 

Lan Fan went cold. “H-how long was I out for?”

 

“Nearly three days. Ling and Greed have been driving everyone crazy with their worrying about you. They haven’t left your side since you were brought in,” Al said.

 

Lan Fan sighed. “I bet Mei’s Clan aren’t too happy about tending a Yao Dog.”

 

“Mei’s been the one tending to you. And she warned everyone in the Clan that if she heard anyone insulting you, or making comments about you, she’d slice them apart with her kunai,” Al said.

 

Lan Fan blinked. “She did?”

 

“She did.”

 

Lan Fan felt a rush of affection for Mei. Trust Mei to make sure she was welcome. Then, the thought of her other friend hit Lan Fan.

 

“And where’s Winry?”

 

Ed rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s been pretty upset. That was the first fight she’s ever been involved in where people . . .”

 

_Ah._ “It’s all right, Ed. She’s strong. But, the baby? Is it okay?”

 

“Yes. The baby’s fine. Mei and the other alkahestrists did some tests to check on it.”

 

“Good. I’m glad everyone’s alright.”

 

Exhaustion sapped her strength, and she fought against the need to sleep. “Where’s Greed? He’s going to be so angry that I lost my hair ornaments.”

 

“You didn’t lose them. Greed picked them up when he rescued you.” Al pointed to the table at the one end of the room as he spoke. Sure enough, there lay her courtship gifts, the jewels twinkling demurely in the soft light. Her other gift, her locket, was still safely around her neck.

 

“That’s a relief. So, where’s Greed?”

 

Ed and Al exchanged a glance. “Don’t worry,” Al said, “He’s around here somewhere.”

 

Ed patted her shoulder. “Just get some sleep. He’ll be back soon.”

 

She opened her mouth to ask again, and let out a huge yawn. With that she lost the battle against sleep.

 

“I hope he’s not getting into trouble,” she muttered, as slumber rolled over her.

 

“He’s always getting into trouble. But, don’t worry. Greed can look after himself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here were the Elric brothers showing their concern for Lan Fan, and confrimation that Lan Fan will be all right . . . after she heals up.
> 
> But I know what you're wondering . . . where the hell did Greed go?
> 
> As always, let me know what you think.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was my original ending, but now that I read it over, I realised I left too much up in the air--which means you guys will have to read a few more chapters before you can get to the epilogue.

Greed checked the letter again to make sure he hadn’t missed out on any important details. Nope, the wording was still the same as it had been ten minutes ago.

 

_Your Imperial Majesty_

_I realise that it is a gross breach of propriety to directly address you, but the matter is urgent. Your Majesty, you are in grave danger. You, and the two people you are courting: Lan Fan of the Yao Clan and Greed the Avaricious._

_After my father’s plan for you to sire a child with me failed, my father became furious. He refused to speak with me at all. He seemed particularly angry that you helped me pursue my dream of becoming an automail engineer._

_A few days ago, just before I was set to leave for Amestris, a man came into our house. I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I read in the evenings in the courtyard, just outside my father’s study. It was a quiet night, so I could clearly hear everything that they said. My father gave the man all the information about your planned trip to the Chang Clan, and said that the man’s task was to make sure that you never returned from the trip. He told the man he would be waiting for a full report after the assassin eliminated you three._

_Please, Your Majesty, do not go to the Chang Clan. Rather, send a few guards to arrest my father for plotting against you. I will give you whatever evidence you need to bring him to justice. He is residing at the house marked on the attached map._

_Yours faithfully_

_Jianying of the Zhao Clan._

Greed looked around. There was a house perched on the hilltop, just like Jianying’s map said there would be. The house was obviously owned by a wealthy individual—Greed could tell that much from the golden statutes that decorated the roof, and the rich, imported wood that made up parts of the exterior. The garden was lush, and filled with a number of marble statues. There were several trees lining the pebbled path, and they gave Greed all the cover he needed as he snuck up to the house. He tried the front door, but, unsurprisingly, it was locked.

 

_I haven’t done this in a while._

 

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out one of the hair pins he’d “borrowed” from Winry. He smoothed out the one end, and inserted it into the lock. After a few moments of careful coaxing, the door swung open, and Greed smirked.

 

_I’ve still got it._

The floor creaked beneath his boots as Greed moved through the wooden hallway that stretched through the house. He slid back each screen door as he passed them, catching sight of several rooms, each more opulent than the last: A parlour filled with refined Xingese pottery, and furnished entirely with expensive wood and silk; a kitchen with a huge, wood-burning stove, and copper pans lining the walls; a pantry with cupboards of fresh produce, as well as some imported delicacies from Creta and Aerugo. Greed helped himself to a few as he continued looking through the house. There were plenty of nice rooms, but he wasn’t interested in décor at the moment. He pulled back the last screen door, and smirked. Finally, he’d found the master bedroom. It was tastefully decorated, with wooden furniture, and tapestries covering the walls. There were also several statues around the room—again, they were of the four sacred Xingese animals.  There were also delicate vases filled with tiny trees along the one wall. But, what interested Greed the most were the travelling cases lined up alongside them.

 

Greed sauntered over to the first case. It didn’t take him long to pick the lock and scan its contents: clothes made from silk, velvet and satin. He threw them out, and ran his fingers along the edges of the case, looking for a catch or groove that would indicate a false bottom, like the kind Ling had shown him back at the Imperial Palace. Nothing. He repeated the process with the next few trunks, but there was nothing. Not a single trace of damning evidence. He moved onto the last trunk. He tossed out the contents—more fine clothing—and ran his fingers along the bottom. This time his fingers found a catch, and when he lifted it up, he pulled out the bottom of the truck.

 

“What have we got here?”

 

Greed peered inside. There was some pretty nice stuff in here—but not what he was looking for: a bag of gold coins; a bejewelled dagger; some scrolls that were brittle and crumbling at the edges, some rings, and chains. 

 

Greed drummed his fingers on the side of the case. He was missing something. He could feel it. His eyes slowly travelled over to the lid of the box. He picked it up, and carefully ran his fingers along the edge of the lid.  His fingers found another catch, and he grinned.

 

“Well, aren’t you a sly bastard,” he remarked as he removed the false lid.

 

Inside was a sheaf of papers, strapped down so that they wouldn’t shift or rustle as the case moved about. Greed undid the clasp, and scanned the papers. They were all in Xingese, and—though he’d never admit it—it was thanks to Ling’s teaching that he could read it.

 

A few sentences in, and he was frowning. These were nothing more than lists of famous poets. But, there was something off about them. They seemed . . . repetitive. As if there was a pattern there. Suddenly, the memory of Kit, his fox-Chimera friend shot through his mind. Kit, and her obsession with codes and encryptions.

 

_He can’t have be that stupid . . . No one uses traditional encryption methods._

 

But, as he applied the decryption method, the message transformed into something far more sinister. Exactly what he was looking for. As Greed read, a terrifying smile spread across his face.

 

***

 

“What happened to my house?!”

 

Greed was sitting, half-hidden in the shadows, with his boots propped up on the last piece of furniture in the house. He sipped his wine as he watched Wu pick his way through the carnage. There were chunks of statues strewn about, and shards of pottery littered the floor. The carcasses of wooden furniture were everywhere, with huge splintered pieces of wood jutting upwards like broken ribs. Tatters of silk clothing, tapestries and wall hangings wound around everything. Feathers from the pillows swirled through the air. And smeared all over the floor was every piece of food in the pantry. Wu’s reaction was priceless. The man went red, then white, and red again as he stumbled around, bemoaning the destruction.

 

“I’d be more worried about what was going to happen to you,” Greed said, mildly, after watching the man for a while.

 

Wu jumped, and spun around to face him. “You! _Foreign vermin!_ What did you do to my things?”

 

Greed drained his wine. “This isn’t a bad drink. Not as good as the Cretan wine Lan Fan got me, but still passable.”

 

“Answer my question, _dog_.”

 

Greed set down his cup and stood. He prowled over to Wu and began circling him. Wu watched him with wary eyes.

 

“I just thought we’d have ourselves a chat,” Greed said.

 

“And you destroyed my things?”

 

“I got bored waiting for you.”

 

“Some of those things were priceless!”

 

“Priceless, huh?”

 

“Yes, you _vile_ _foreign cockroach._ Priceless. And they were mine!”

 

Greed narrowed his eyes. “You know, you’re pretty possessive, aren’t you? See, I can relate to that. Most of the time, I’m an easy guy to get along with. As long as people don’t interfere with what I want, I can get along with anyone. There’s only one thing I can’t stand, and that’s when people take my things.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Greed pulled out the papers and waved them at Wu. Wu’s face drained of all colour, and he started to back away from Greed, tripping over the debris in his haste.

 

“Cut the crap. It’s all here—you’re pretty stupid not to destroy the letters between yourself and the men you hired to kill me, Ling and Lan Fan.”

 

“I’m being framed!”

 

“I told you to cut the crap,” Greed snarled. “If they were framing you, they wouldn’t put the evidence in a place that was hard to find. Besides, some of these letters are copies with your signature on them. And the best part? These letters are perfect evidence that you’re part of the Pure Xingese. I can’t believe I didn’t realise it sooner. You always were going on about tradition, and culture and the purity of the Imperial line.”

 

“That’s not even evidence. It will never hold up in court.”

 

Greed laughed. It was a black sound. “I don’t think you realise what’s going on here. You are in court right now, you bastard. And I’m the judge, jury and executioner.”

 

Suddenly, Wu lunged forward, and rammed a dagger into Greed’s chest. Greed grunted and staggered back. Blood spurted from the wound. For a moment, Greed panted hard as the pain pulsed through him, and then he straightened. Wu’s eyes went wide and Greed took great pleasure watching Wu’s smile go from triumphant to terrified.

 

“Fuck, this was my new vest,” Greed snarled.

 

Greed pulled the dagger out of his chest, and threw it aside. Red light crackled over the wound, fixing his injury.

 

“You might want to work on your aim. You needed to go more to the left if you wanted to hit my heart.”

 

Greed advanced on Wu, who tripped over a piece of statue and fell flat on his back. He cowered at Greed’s feet. “What kind of monster are you?”

 

“I’m a homunculus. An artificial human,” Greed said, as he held up his left hand and tapped his ouroboros tattoo.”

 

“T-that’s impossible!”

 

“Nothing’s impossible, you bastard,” Greed snarled. “You’re going to pay for injuring Ling and Lan Fan. No one injures my things and gets away with it.”

 

He grinned his razor grin, and covered his fist with his Ultimate Shield. Wu went even paler as Greed flexed his claws.

 

“Please . . . don’t.”

 

“Yeah, well, my avarice makes these decisions for me. And right now I want your life.”

 

Greed attacked. Wu screamed. He didn’t stop for a long time.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Greed took out his vengeance on Wu for hurting his things--I hope you enjoyed Greed's protective side coming out. And, I hope you were all satisfied with Wu's fate . . .


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow . . . today was just insane at work. I had so much to do.
> 
> Still, I wanted to get these chapters uploaded before I have to go in to the office tomorrow. 
> 
> Enjoy.

“What do you mean Greed’s gone?”

 

Ling’s voice jolted her out of her slumber. She tried to move and pain slammed into her. She rolled onto her back, wincing as she did so. Then, she registered what Ling had said. Greed was gone?! But how? Where could he have gone? Could he have left them? She gave herself a little shake.

 

_Of course he hasn’t. He’s just getting himself into trouble._

 

And, if Greed was in trouble, then he needed _someone_ to get him out of it. Lan Fan pushed down with her arm. Pain lanced through her, and she breathed deeply, trying to will it away. She pushed down harder. Eventually, she managed to force herself into a seated position, then onto her feet. and she took several meditative breaths.  

 

She spread out her sense of qi, feeling it flow along the lines of energy that moved through the Earth’s surface. Immediately, she was filled with an awareness of the room around her, despite it being tar-dark. She knew the exact positions of the chairs lining the wall, how high from the floor the shelves were, and that her futon was in the centre of the room. Combine that with the information she received from her other senses, such as the reeks from the various medication dotted about, and Lan Fan knew the room as well as if it had been filled with spotlights.

 

She pushed outwards, beyond the confines of the healing chambers. There were numerous people in the Chang complex, for all that Mei said that the Changs were a small clan. Their qis were flickers against her senses. Then, she tried to focus her search. Sure enough, just a little way down the corridor from her chambers were the familiar presences of the Elric brothers.  Near them were two qi’s she couldn’t recognise—probably guards for Ling. And there was the qi she knew as well as her own name.

 

Ling’s qi was blazing bright, as ever, and sensing it sent a ripple of relief through her.

 

But . . .

 

She forced her awareness outwards, expanding throughout the Chang complex., but no matter how much she searched she couldn’t detect the seething presence that marked Greed. She bit her lip.

 

“I hope he’s all right,” she muttered to herself.

 

She stumbled over to the screen and hesitated. She wasn’t dressed for wandering around the corridors of another clan. All she was dressed in was her bandages, her locket and a loose pair of dark trousers. Then, the thought of Greed flitted across her mind. She gripped the screen door. After a few minutes of fumbling, she tugged it open, and shivered as the cool air slapped her bare skin.

 

She staggered along the corridor, towards Ling’s familiar qi. Every few moments, she had to pause and lean against the wall, because the wooden floor wasn’t co-operating with her efforts, and kept tilting beneath her feet. It didn’t take her long before she turned a corner, and saw them all—Ling and the Elric brothers. The three of them were standing off to the one side of the corridor, just beneath one of the oil lamps that sent orange light spilling over the polished floor and waxed wooden walls.  She immediately scanned the three of them for injuries. There was a bandage on Ed’s arm, and a bruise on his jaw. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? She must have been more injured than she initially thought if things like that escaped her attention. Ling was still favouring one leg, and there was also a cut on his left cheek. Al was uninjured, but he looked as exhausted as the other two.

 

“Why didn’t you stop him?” Ling demanded.

 

“Do I look like Greed’s babysitter?”

 

“Do you want me to answer that?”

 

Al intervened before they could argue. “Ling, we couldn’t have stopped him even if we wanted to. We saw him reading a letter earlier, and he looked furious. He told us that he was going out for a few hours because someone was messing with his stuff, and he needed to sort them out.”

 

“He also told us to watch over you and Lan Fan because, if anything happened to either of you, he would rip us both a new one.” Ed shook his head. “Talk about ungrateful. We brought him back from the dead, and now he’s threatening us.”

 

“You should have at least found out where he was going.”

 

Lan Fan took another step towards them. Immediately, Al’s eyes snapped to her.

 

“Lan Fan!” he cried as he raced to her.

 

_“Lan Fan?!”_

Al reached her, and threw her automail arm over his shoulder so he could take her full weight. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be lying down.”

 

“I can’t. I need to help find Greed.”

 

Al snorted. ‘Yeah, right. You’re in no condition to be going anywhere.”

 

“But, I—”

 

“Al’s right,” Ling suddenly said, as he reached her side as well. “You need to stay in bed so you can recover.”

 

“But, I—”

 

“No buts.” Ling moved to take her, and she pulled away.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, quickly, “but, you’re hurt too.”

 

He blinked. “Oh. Right. Well, you just get some rest. I’ll find Greed.”

 

“And how you going to do that when you can’t walk properly?” Ed demanded.

 

“I’ll manage. After all, you manage when Winry does repairs to your automail.”

 

“That’s a different kettle of fish.”

“

What kind of stupid saying is—”

 

“Enough.” Al snapped, his voice taking on a sharp tone.  “Neither _you_ nor _Lan Fan_ is going to look for Greed. You two are going to stay in the healing chambers. Brother and I can search for him.”

 

Lan Fan opened her mouth to argue, but Al cut her off.

 

“Sorry, but Mei gave me strict orders to make sure that you and Ling remained in the healing chambers.  If she sees I haven’t done my job, she’ll never forgive me.”

With that, Lan Fan resigned herself to being taken back to the healing chambers. She knew there was no threat she could make that would equal Mei’s. Al began guiding her back down the corridor, with Ling limping along beside them. Al glanced at him, then at Ed who folded his arms.

 

“No.”

 

“Brother . . .”

 

“No. I am not carrying Ling back to the rooms. I did it once in Gluttony’s stomach, and that’s it.”

 

“Don’t worry Al, Ed’s just too sh—”

 

“You say ‘short’, you idiot Prince, and I’ll—”

 

Ed’s threats were cut off as a messenger appeared at the end of the corridor. He wore the typical messengers’ uniform—black pants, navy Nehru jacket, and a red sash around his waist, which matched the headband he wore. He ran up to them, and bowed. “Your Majesty, my lords and lady, I have a message for Alphonse Elric.”

 

Lan Fan‘s jaw dropped. Lady? _Lady?!_ He-he couldn’t mean _her_? It wasn’t possible. She glanced at Ling, but he was watching the messenger with an approving look in his eyes.  

 

“I’m afraid I’m a little busy.” Al gestured at Lan Fan with his head.  “Is it urgent?”

 

“Yes. The Princess gave me strict instructions to report to you as fast as I could.”

 

“Then, tell me.”

 

The messenger hesitated “. . . the Princess gave orders not to speak of this in front of the Imperial Bodyguard or the Emperor.”

 

She saw Ling stiffen, and his face shift slightly as he slipped fully into his role as Emperor. She always found it amazing how he could command such authority, even when he was dressed in a commoner’s changshan.

 

“What’s the message?” he demanded, stepping forward.

 

“Your Majesty . . .”

 

“I’m giving you an Imperial Order.”

 

Lan Fan felt sorry for the man, as she watched his loyalty for the Princess war with his duty to the Emperor. Eventually, his shoulders sagged.

“Your Majesty . . . the guards were told a few hours ago that there was a body discovered.”

 

“Where?”

 

“In a house, not too far way. The house has been completely destroyed, and the body—it looked like it has been torn apart by a wild animal. There may have been more than one victim, though—we found bloody handprints on some of the debris.”

 

“What makes you so sure that it was an animal?”

 

“The guards were given this, by the person who found the body. He apparently found it at the scene.”  The messenger reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed plastic bag. Inside, the bag was a tuft of white fur that Lan Fan recognised immediately.

 

It was the same fur that lined Greed’s vests.

 

The colour drained from Ling’s face. “I see,” he said in a voice that was carefully neutral.

 

He held out his hand and the messenger handed over the bag. Ling stared at it for a long moment, before he slipped it into his pocket.

 

“Why didn’t the Princess want me to know?”

 

“Her Highness said that with your worries over the lady’s injuries, and your own wounds, it might be detrimental to your health if you were told.”

 

“I see. I must ask you to send a message to the guards. Tell them that I expect them to investigate the matter fully—and to report back to me if they uncover any more information.”

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

 

The messenger bowed again, and hurried back down the corridor. As soon as he was gone, Ed opened his mouth, but Ling held up a hand before he could say anything.

 

“Not here,” he said.

 

Ed nodded. They started hurrying down the corridor, when Al swung Lan Fan into his arms.

 

“Al, what are you doing?”

 

“We’ll move faster this way. Trust me.”

 

“Al, I can walk.”

 

“It’s better for your health if I carry you.”

 

“Al, I’m telling I—”

 

“Al,” Ling said, “If you put Lan Fan down before we get to the healing chambers, I will throw you in jail.”

 

Al laughed. “You see. Now I can’t put you down.”

 

Lan Fan glared at both of them, wishing she should smack the smug looks off their faces. She clenched her jaw and let Al carry her.

 

When they reached the healing chambers, Ed shoved open the screen door, and ushered everyone inside. Then, he slammed the door shut, and Al deposited Lan Fan on the futon. Ling collapsed onto one of the chairs, and started rubbing his leg.

 

She glared at him.

“

You should rest,” she scolded.

 

Ling raised an eyebrow at her. “So should you.”

 

“I’m—”

 

“Can you two stop the lover’s spat for a second?”  Ed said. “I want to know what’s going on with the attack. It was—”

 

Lan Fan held up her hand. “Wait.”

 

She breathed deeply, and let her sense of qi unfurl.  She wished she was well enough to do a physical check of the room, instead of having to rely solely on her sense of qi, but she had no choice. She felt the warm pinpricks of the people of the Chang clan, but there was no one nearby—other than the two guards who had taken up posts outside the door.

 

“It’s safe to talk,” Lan Fan said softly, “as long as we’re quiet.”

 

“Right,” Ed said in a low voice. “that fur was Greed’s, am I right?”

 

Ling nodded. “Yes. I’d recognise that fur anywhere.”

 

“Do you think it’s his blood?”

 

Lan Fan looked at Ling, and saw the same worry she felt reflected in his face. “I’m not sure,” Ling said, after a moment. “He’s not really able to get injured, but if someone saw him healing . . . it could be bad. Very bad. And, if he’s responsible for the killing, we need to know why.”

 

Al cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. “ Do you think  he might have, well, gone on a killing spree?”

 

Both Ling and Ed shook their heads.

 

“No. Greed’s not a serial killer.” Ling said. “If he did kill that man, then I know he had a reason for it.”

 

“Yeah. He may be an annoying shit, but he’s not the kind of guy to go on a rampage.” Ed added. “Even while we were on the run, he was more inclined to run from witnesses than simply eliminating them.”

 

“We need to find him,” Lan Fan said,

 

She tried to stand, but Al gently pushed her back down. “No. You are going to stay here and rest.”

 

“But—”

 

“No, buts, Lan Fan” Ling’s voice had taken on a tinge of his Imperial authority.

 

Lan Fan bit back a sharp retort. Instead, she looked Ling up and down and said “Then, Ling must stay with me.”

 

“What?!”

 

She glared at him. “You’re injured as well, and it’s most likely that you were the intended target of the assassination attempt. If you wander around looking for Greed, you’ll endanger yourself.”

 

“She’s right,” Al said. “Besides, Mei told you to rest your leg, otherwise it won’t heal.”

 

“So, I’m just supposed to sit here?!” Ling demanded.

 

“Isn’t being Emperor about sitting on your ass all day?” Ed asked, earning him glares from both Ling and Lan Fan.

 

“Ed, I swear I’ll throw you in jail if you make another smart-ass comment.”

 

“Sheesh, I was just kidding.” Ed sighed. “Don’t worry. You two just try and rest. Al and I will go looking for Greed.”

 

“If you find him, you’ll tell us?” Lan Fan said.

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

Al elbowed his brother. “Of course we will. Don’t worry. I’m sure Greed is perfectly fine.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Greed still isn't back from his adventure with Wu. . . and Ling and Lan Fan know he went missing. . . 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think.


	41. Chapter 41

Greed was _not_ perfectly fine. How the hell did anyone find their way through these damn corridors? Everything looked the bloody same! There were the same kind of hand-painted screens leaning against the walls. The same blue and white pottery with some stupid bird on them and the same carvings on each of the columns. Adimittedly, some pretty bad-ass carvings, but still! Greed thumped his fist on the wall, barely resisting the urge to use his Ultimate Shield. He’d already pulled the Shield over his chest and back. After he’d _ruined_ his new vest with Wu’s blood, he needed to wear something on his way back to the Chang complex. Honestly, he should have known better than to wear his good clothes to an execution.

 

Greed frowned as he looked up and down the corridor. He knew he’d been this way before. He was sure that the infirmary was near the inner part of the complex. All he had to do know was figure out how to get there. It shouldn’t be so fucking hard. As he tried to remember, his eyes wandered to one of the half-open screens.

 

It offered a view of the mountains that marked this area as the Chang Clan’s lands. They were a magnificent sight—the sides of the mountains were lush with green vegetation and the valleys had turned into beautiful basins of mist. A faint gold dusting from dawn’s first rays decorated everything.  But, the bashful sunrise reminded him how long the “Wu issue” had taken. It hadn’t been the Wu’s execution that had taken so long, though—Greed had gone through all the man’s thing, twice, to make sure he had every scrap of paper relating to Wu’s involvement with the Pure Xingese. They were all now safely tucked into his pocket.

 

Looking back, Greed thought he had probably gone overboard when he’d eliminated Wu. But, who could blame him? The bastard had tried to take his things. No one did that.

 

“Maybe if I—”

 

A loud chirrup caught his attention. Greed looked down. Sitting by his feet, and looking thoroughly fed up with him was Xiao Mei.

 

“What is it?”

 

Xiao Mei tugged on his leather trousers, and gave a trill. She then darted off down the corridor, before pausing and looking back at him. She jerked her head down the corridor.

 

“You want me to follow you?”

 

She chirruped again, and Greed shrugged. He supposed there were worse ideas in the world than following a panda—though he couldn’t think of any at the moment. Xiao Mei gave an growl, as she noticed him hesitating.

 

“All right, all right. I’m coming. No need to get snappy.”

 

Xiao Mei gave another irritated growl, and darted down the corridor, with Greed directly behind her.

 

***

 

_Note to self: When lost, follow the panda._

Xiao Mei had led him through a maze of corridors that wound inwards, towards the heart of the Chang complex. Without her guidance, Greed would have been completely lost. And, maybe that was the point of the design. Let the enemies enter the building, allow them to become completely lost, and then pick them off one by one. There were several gaps in the decorative carvings on the walls that Greed supposed could have been used, at one point, for archers. Nowadays, it was more likely that snipers hid in the gaps. The thought didn’t bother him too much. Aside from the fact that Mei had ordered her clan to be welcoming to Ling and his entourage, if there was an attack, the bullets would just richoette off his chest. It was one of the benefits of having an Ultimate Shield

 

A trill jolted him out of his thoughts. He glanced at Xiao Mei, who pointed down the corridor. Sure enough, the place seemed familiar. And, there were two guards posted on either side of the screen door.

 

“Are Ling and Lan Fan in there?”

 

Xiao Mei nodded, and Greed grinned at her.

 

“Thanks for the help. I owe you a plate of bamboo. Or whatever it is you pandas eat.”

 

Greed would have sworn that Xiao Mei rolled her eyes before she headed off down another corridor.

 

_She’s probably off to tell Half-Pint that I’m back._

 

As Greed strode towards the screen door, he gave the guards a once over. They looked similar to many of the other guards Greed had seen hanging around—dark uniform, polished breastplates and hair that was tied into neat warriors’ ques. Still, there was nothing funny about their gleaming spears, or the way both guards tensed as he approached. Before Greed could get anywhere near the screen door, the guards rushed forward, and blocked his path.

 

“Don’t come another step closer.”

 

Greed flicked the end of the spear with a finger. “Careful where you point this thing. You could hurt someone.”

 

“Who are you?” the other guard demanded.

 

“I’m Greed the Avaricious. Who are you?”

 

“I’m Zhun, of the Chang Clan.”

 

“Well, Zhun, could you stop waving your spear about and let me past? I’m kinda in a hurry.”

 

“We’ve been given strict orders not to let anyone through to see his Majesty, or the Imperial Guard.”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Greed rolled his eyes. “I go through a night of shit, and now this. Just let me past.”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because . . .” the other guard’s voice quavered, though his grip on his spear was steady. “You’re not human. It would be a mistake for us to allow you past.”

 

Greed smirked. “What tipped you off?”

 

“Your qi. It’s—”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I know my qi is vile. You Xingese are starting to sound like broken records about that.” He sighed. “Look, one way or the other, I’m getting into that room, so save yourselves a trip to the hospital and just stand aside.”

 

Instead of doing like he’d asked, the guards’ grips on their spears tightened.

 

“Are you threatening us?”

 

 “No. I’m just telling you how these things are going to happen. Now do yourselves a favour and move.”

 

“No.”

 

“Oh, well. Ling can’t say I—”

 

“There you are!”

 

The three of them swung their eyes down the corridor. Ling was there, leaning heavily against the wall. His face was ash grey, and there were dark rings around his eyes. He was clearly favouring his one leg.

 

Greed scowled. “You dumbass, Ling, what have you done to yourself? Mei _told_ you to rest that leg.”

 

 “How am I supposed to rest when you pull a disappearing act like that?” Ling demanded, as he hobbled a bit more forward.

 

“You should have just—wait, don’t tell me you were pacing?”

 

Ling’s silence made Greed swear. “You’re a dumbass. A complete and utter dumbass. You should have just relaxed, and waited till I got back.”

 

Ling’s eyes bored into Greed as he clenched his fists. “How can you expect me to remain calm when you just disappear?”

 

Grief flitted across Ling’s expression, and Greed winced. Yep. He’d definitely taken too long with Wu. Greed tried to take a step forward, and Zhun blocked his path again.

 

 “Your Majesty?” Zhun said, his gaze shifting warily from Greed to Ling. “May we ask you a question?”

 

“You already have, but you’re welcome to ask me more.”

 

The guard glanced over at Greed.  “Do you know this . . . _man_?” Greed frowned at the way he said the word “man”. Greed may not have been human, but he was a _man_. In every way that counted.

 

“Yes.” Ling gave a lopsided smile. “He’s the moron I presented with a courting suit. I don’t know what I was thinking at the time, but I did.”

 

“You were thinking that you wanted the sexiest man in Xing on your arm.” Greed tapped the guards’ spears. “You mind moving these?”

 

“The guards glared at him, but did as he asked. Greed immediately went over and swung Ling into his arms.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ling demanded, as Greed carried him towards the screen door.

 

“Taking you back to Toots. And, making sure that you don’t put weight on that leg.”

 

 “Since when do you care so much about my health?”

 

_When I saw that damn scar on your arm._

 

But Greed wasn’t about to admit that. Instead, he cleared his throat and said “Since Mei threated to skin me alive if I didn’t make you rest that leg.”

 

“Are you telling me you can fight a being with the powers of a god, yet you’re scared of a tiny girl with a panda?”

 

“Yes.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have Greed's return. I thought it would very typical of our favourite idiot to get lost on his return.
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying these last few chapters. They're a bit slower in action, but I feel like they wind things up well.
> 
> I'd love to know what you all think.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so this is it. The last chapter. I can't believe it. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who read this fic. Writing for you all has been an absolute pleasure.

As Greed carried him back to the healing chambers, Ling  felt a twinge of pity for the two guards—after all they hadn’t signed up for any of the bizarre things that littered his life. And, from the way that they were staring after him and Greed, Ling guessed he would be the subject of _more_ gossip. He wished people would find better uses for their time than chat about how the Emperor was being carried around by a foreigner. Speaking of which, Ling wasn’t sure how he felt about Greed carrying him around—even though it was a divine relief from the pain in his leg. On the one hand, he was the Emperor. He was supposed to be the epitome of dignity and power, and it was a little hard to pull off when you were being carried like a child in the arms of a smirking homunculus.

 

On the other hand, Greed’s arms around him felt really _, really_ good.

 

He knew it was pointless to argue with Greed, so Ling simply rested his head against Greed’s shoulder. It didn’t take long for them to reach the healing chambers. The screen had been pulled closed. Greed frowned. “Hang on a sec, partner.”

 

Greed shifted Ling’s weight, trying to open the door with his foot. Ling sighed, reached out, and smoothly slid the screen open. Immediately, the smell of antiseptic and burning oil made Ling’s nose twitch.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome”

 

Then, as Greed stepped into the healing chambers, a thought occurred to Ling that made his lips twitch.

 

“Hey, Greed, isn’t there an Amestrian custom on weddings when the groom carries—”

 

“if this sentence contains the words “bride” and “threshold, ” I will deliberately drop you on your ass.” Then, Greed cackled. “Anyway, doesn’t that mean that _you’re_ the bride?”

 

Ling winced. He hadn’t realised _that_. “Shut up.”

 

“Why? You got a problem with a big, white ball gown? I can see it now. Long white train, poufy skirt, full length gloves . . . you’d look good.”

 

“Ling looks good in everything.”

 

Ling twisted his head. Lan Fan was sitting on her futon with a half-smile on her face. She had her legs folded in a perfect lotus, and her palms resting on her thighs. She’d lit an oil lamp, and the light glinted off her locket and her automail.  The bottles of medicine on the shelves also gleamed, and reflected colured slivers of light onto the walls.

 

Ling smiled at her. “Thanks, Lan Fan.”

 

“Oi! And what about me, Toots?”

 

Ling gave Greed’s cheek a light kiss. “Don’t worry, you look good too.”

 

“Damn right!” Greed said.

 

He crossed the room in a few long strides, and carefully set Ling down on one of the seats near the futon. He went over to the shelves and rummaged around a bit until his fist closed around something. He also grabbed a water flask. He then crossed the room, flopped down next to Ling and held out his hand.

 

“Both of you take a pill.”

 

Ling glanced at them. “These are painkillers.”

 

“I know. And both of you are in pain. So, take them.”

 

Lan Fan shrugged. “I’m fine.”

 

Ling pinched the bridge of his nose “And I’m going to translate that into ‘I’m in pain, but I don’t want to admit it because I don’t want people to worry’.  Am I right?”

 

“Toots, just take the damn pill.”

 

Lan Fan opened her mouth to argue, but Ling held up his hand.

 

“I don’t want to take my pill either, so let’s make a deal. I’ll take mine if you take yours.”

 

Lan Fan still hesitated.

 

“It’s Equivalent Exchange.”

 

“I’m not an alchemist.”

 

Greed sighed. “Come on, Toots. Otherwise Ling will be in pain the whole night, and you know how whiny he can get.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Lan Fan’s lips twitched. She took the pill, popped it into her mouth and swallowed it with a mouthful of water from the flask. Ling did the same. As soon as they did, tension unwound from Greed’s shoulders and he eased back into leaning position.

 

Ling then steepled his fingers and fixed Greed with a sharp look. “So, where did you run off to?”

 

“I had some things to sort out. I would have been back here sooner, if I hadn’t been delayed by your over-eager guards.”

 

“The guards are necessary,”  Lan Fan snapped. “With the recent attack, we have no idea if any of us in danger, or whether the attackers will try again.”

 

“Actually, we do, Toots.”

 

Greed reached into his pocket, and pulled out a stack of rather crumpled parchments. He thrust them into Ling’s hands. “You might want to take a glance at those.”

 

Ling darted his eyes across the papers and raised his eyebrows. “what do I want with a list of famous poets?”

 

Greed tapped the corner of the parchment. “The document is encrypted. I’ve seen this kind of thing done before, so I know how to decrypt it.”

 

“How?”

 

Grief flitted across Greed’s face. Immediately, Ling laid a hand on Greed’s knee, and Lan Fan said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to tell me.”

 

“No. It’s all right. One of my gang, a fox Chimera named Kit, knew how to do this kind of stuff. She was involved in decrypting enemy communications before she got sent to the labs. Anyway, she taught us all some basic deciphering and decoding.” Greed leant forward and tapped the corner of the parchment. “Just use the key there.”

 

“All right.” Ling frowned, and turned back to the parchment. He read for a few moments, applying Greed’s cypher to the text. He clenched his jaw, and fought not to tear the paper in two.

 

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

 

Ling looked up at her. “This is a rather nice account of our current assassination attempt. And of other crimes too. Fraud, corruption, theft of state finances, attempted murder—the Pure Xingese have a lot to answer for.”

 

“I think one of them all ready did.” Her eyes darted to the paper, and Ling flipped it over to see what she was looking at. There, on the middle of the page was a rust coloured stain that looked like . . .

 

“Greed,” Ling asked in a quiet voice. “Is that blood?”

 

Greed leant over to get a better look at the pages. “Oh yeah. Sorry about that.”

 

“So, it was you.”

 

“What was?”

 

“We received a report that a body had been found in a house not too far from here,” Lan Fan said. “And, the body appeared to have been mauled to death.”

 

“And,” Ling said, pulling the plastic bag out of his pocket. He hadn’t let it out of his sight since the messenger gave it to him. He held it out to Greed. “They found this at the scene. I believe it’s the fur from one of your vests.”

 

Greed took a cursory look at the fur and sighed. “Yep. That’s mine. I knew I should have left my good vest here when I went to sort out the bastard.”

 

“Who’s blood is it?” Lan Fan asked.

 

“Probably Wu’s.”

 

“ _Wu’s?_!”  Ling and Lan Fan exchanged shocked looks.

 

“Yep.”

 

Ling shook his head. “That’s not possible. He was under Imperial order to leave the area for the farthest clans.”

 

Greed snorted. “You can add ‘disobeying an Imperial command’ to his list of crimes. Trust me, he was here. He wanted to see if his assassination attempt would work. Unfortunately, he didn’t realise that his lovely daughter could hear the whole conversation, and is more loyal to her Emperor than to him.”

 

Greed pulled out a letter from his other pocket and placed it in Ling’s hands.

 

“The next time you get mail, do me a favour. Read it.”

 

Ling took the letter, and let his eyes wander over the carefully painted kanji. After a few moments of reading, he lowered the paper slowly.

 

“So, you went to his house?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“And, what happened?”

 

“I waited for him, and trashed his house when I got bored of waiting. When the bastard did show up, I killed him.”

 

“Good.” Lan Fan said. Her gaze flickered to Ling. “You should have let me kill him that day.”

 

Ling wanted to argue, but, if he’d let her kill Wu, the assassination attempt wouldn’t have happened, and  Lan Fan wouldn’t have—

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going after Wu?” Ling growled.

 

“Because I had a score to settle with him, that’s why. And, I didn’t want to take the chance that you’d try to talk me out of it.

 

“What score?” Lan Fan asked.

 

“That” he pointed to her bandages, “and that” he pointed to Ling’s injured leg.

 

“No one,” Greed said. “hurts my things.”

 

Ling narrowed his eyes at Greed. “Didn’t you think I might have wanted to go with? I had my own score to settle. I thought we were supposed to be partners?”

 

“We _are_ ,” Greed said, and then smirked. “In all the ways that matter. But, I didn’t want to risk that bastard coming within a hundred metres of you.”

 

“He’s right, Ling.”

 

Ling groaned. “Not you too.”

 

“Your safety is the top priority, as the Emperor and as one of my suitors,” she blushed a little as she said the word, but her voice hardened as she continued. “You should have told me, Greed. I’m the Imperial Guard, so it’s my duty to protect the Emperor.”

 

“Toots, I didn’t tell you for the same reason I didn’t tell the little pissant. I didn’t want that bastard within a hundred metres of you.” Greed said, as he shook his head.  “Besides, you gotta get used to the fact that you’re not the only one looking after this dumbass anymore—and that there are people looking out for you, too”

 

“He’s right, Lan Fan.” But, Ling glared at Greed. “Though, you’re not really one to talk about protecting others. You practically need a babysitter. It was dangerous for you to do this alone. What if you’d gotten hurt, Greed? Or worse, what if someone realised you’re a living philosopher’s stone?” Ling felt himself go cold, but he kept speaking. “They would have you killed or melted you down.”

 

“You worry too much.”

 

“I lived through you dying once!” Ling snapped. “Forgive me for not wanting to go through that again.”

 

The colour drained from Greed’s face, and Lan Fan inhaled sharply. Ling felt his eyes sting.

 

“I never, ever, want to go through that again,” Ling wasn’t sure if he spoke the words aloud, but must have, because he was suddenly being held by a pair of strong arms, with his face resting against Greed’s Ultimate Shield.

 

“Look, I’m not going to apologise,” Greed’s voice rumbled against Ling’s ear, “but, well . . . I’ll be more careful in future. All right?”

 

Ling took several deep breaths to steady himself. “I guess.”

 

Greed pulled away, and gave a jaw-cracking yawn. “Glad that’s settled. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m beat. Night Toots, Night, partner.”

 

Before Greed could get up, Lan Fan, shifted to one side, and pulled the blankets down. Ling’s eyebrows rose, and she blushed, but nonetheless she patted the pillows beside her.

 

“Ed and Al said you two have been staying here already, so you might as well share the bed.”

 

Greed grinned. “If you’re sure, Toots.”

 

He immediately bent over and starting tugging off his shoes. Lan Fan climbed beneath the covers, and as she did her eyes met Ling’s. “I think you should climb in as well. You look exhausted.”

 

“Exhausted? Of course I’m exhausted.” Ling muttered as he removed his changshan and slippers “I was worrying about that idiot half the night.”

 

Greed reached over and tousled Ling’s hair. “Aww, how cute, the little pissant’s worried about me.”

 

“Get off me,” Ling said, shoving him away.

 

Greed snickered, then climbed over to where Lan Fan lay and slipped into the blankets. He wriggled until he was right in the middle, then lay down. He pulled Lan Fan closer to him until her head ended up resting on his chest, and her one arm lay across his body, with her hand on his stomach.

 

For a second, all Ling could do was stare at the two of them. At the way the light caught in their dark hair. At the amused half-smirk on Greed’s face, and his intense red eyes. At the slight blush on Lan Fan’s face, and the possessive way she held Greed.

 

They were Ling’s. His suitors. Something in Ling’s chest glowed as he thought the words.

 

_I really am in love, I guess._

 

Greed  caught him staring and raised an eyebrow. “Are you just going to sit there, you idiot?”

 

Ling gave him a grin that matched could have matched Greed’s. He blew out the oil lamp, then crawled over and slipped inside the covers, pulling them up after him. Greed moved, to allow Ling to sleep on his other shoulder. Ling put his hand on top of Lan Fan’s.

 

The futon certainly wasn’t the most comfortable bed Ling had ever slept in, but he wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the ending that I ended up going for. I think there was a nice symmetry to it, as Ling started off the story as feeling completely alone, and ends it being the complete opposite. 
> 
> Only the epilogue to go, and I wanted to ask a question . . . you may have noticed the narrator shifting between Greed, Ling and Lan Fan. Each character got 14 chapters to narrate. But I gave the epilogue to a completely different person. I'd love to hear your guesses as to who.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have the epilogue. It's a chapter I have been dying to write, and I'm so happy to share it with you all.
> 
> In case anyone is wondering this is set in the future, at least several months after the end of Chapter 42.

“Robert? Robert, wake up.”

 

A hand shook his shoulder roughly, and Dr. Knox groaned, pushing himself up onto his elbows.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I heard something.”

 

Dr. Knox blinked hard, trying to focus on reality. Even in the meagre light, he could see that the room looked exactly as it always did. His clothes were tossed over the chair in the corner. His books were still piled on his nightstand, and there were ashtrays placed at strategic points throughout the room. The only thing Dr. Knox still considered a dream was the fact that his wife, Amelia, was lying in the bed next to him.  The pre-dawn light filtering in through the gap in the curtains accentuated the lines in her face, and made her hair look more rumpled than it usually did in the mornings. Dr Knox thought she looked beautiful.

 

“There’s nothing there, Amy. Go back to sleep.”

 

She caught his arm. “No, listen.”

 

_"No" is a dirty word,_

_Never gonna say it first,_

_"No" is just a thought that never crosses my mind . . ._

“Who the fuck is awake at this hour?!”

 

Dr. Knox swung out of bed and began rummaging around for his shoes. He carefully checked inside in case the shoes harboured any unwanted guests, like spiders or scorpions. Once he’d even found a toad in his shoe—though what a toad was doing in an Ishvallan desert was beyond him.

 

“Where are you going?” Amelia asked.

 

“I’m going to give that asshole a piece of my mind. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.”

 

He glanced back at his wife, and then, impulsively, leant over and gave her a kiss. “Try and get some sleep, Amy.”

 

“Be careful, okay, Robert? And don’t forget your coat.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

 

He pulled on his coat over his pyjamas and grabbed a cigarette. He lit it as he stepped out of his house, through his garden, and onto the street. He looked around. It was a crisp, Ishavallan morn. Mist coiled from his mouth, and the stars still twinkled above his head. He could hear the calling of the cactus wrens, as well as the buzzing of insects. And, accompanying them was a deep baritone singing that god-awful, raucous song. He started down the street, and let his thoughts wander. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Roy that his plans to restore Ishaval “reeked of optimism” all those years ago. He’d been sure that Ishval would never find its feet. But, he’d been wrong. The evidence was right before his eyes, in the rebuilt houses and schools, in the gatherings for prayers that occurred under one of the sacred trees every few days, and in the weary, self-satisfied smiles of the people.

 

Of course, the Ishavallans had help—both Xing and Amestris had given aid in their own ways. The Xingese had immediately offered supplies and entered into trade agreements that were surprisingly favourable to the Ishvallans. One of the things the Amestrians had offered was the help of the State Alchemists—not to aid them in making buildings, out of respect for the Ishvallan religious beliefs, but in helping repair the building materials so that the Ishavallans could rebuild for themselves. Many State Alchemists had also arrived, intent in offering their physical labour in rebuilding Ishval—Major Armstrong had been one of the first to volunteer. The only other major alchemical project that had been undertaken was accessing the huge aquifers beneath the desert, and drawing the water to the surface so that there was a consistent source of water for the Ishavallan people.

 

Dr. Knox froze as he turned the corner, and his cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth. There was a man dancing around in front of one of the little cottages that had been built to house tourists—thought this one’s front door had been broken down. The man was bare-foot, bare-chested, wearing a pair of black boxers and a thin silk robe—apparently oblivious to the chill that still clung to the desert morning. Dr Knox noticed that there was a gold pendant hanging around his neck. The man’s hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had some of the sharpest teeth Dr. Knox had ever seen. In front of the cottage, was an outdoor fireplace which was now blazing with a well-tended fire. There was a grill set over the open flame, and the man was cooking something in on it. An errant breeze brought the smell of smoke and something else to Dr. Knox. A smell that tugged on the warm memories of his childhood.

 

_Pancakes,_ Dr. Knox realised as he approached the man. _He’s cooking pancakes, and singing._

 

Even as he realised, Dr Knox caught sight of a large tray on the wooden table near the man. The tray had three plates on it, each piled with more pancakes than Dr. Knox thought was possible. The man seemed oblivious to Dr. Knox’s approach, and continued to pour batter into his pan and sing out:

 

_‘’S” is for the simple need_

_“E” is for the ecstasy_

_“X” is just to mark the spot cause that’s the one you really want. . ._

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Dr. Knox demanded as he approached the man.

 

The man didn’t even look at Dr. Knox. His entire attention was on the pan in front of him. “Making pancakes. What does it look like?”

 

“It _sounds_ like you’re making a racket with that god-awful rude song—”

 

“Sorry, pal, but after a night like the one I’ve just had, you’d be singing too. It was the first night of my honeymoon, and you know what happens on a honeymoon, right?  The three of us worked up one _hell_ of an appetite last night.”

 

The man looked up and winked at him. Dr Knox took a long drag of his cigarette. It was _way_ too early to be dealing with a newlywed, never mind a post-coital newlywed.

 

“Still, some people are trying to sleep,” he snapped.

 

The man snorted. “Not around here, they’re not. We made so much noise last night that our neighbours thought we were being murdered. So, Scar-face, and the officer with the funny side-burns broke down our door to see what was going on.” The man grinned. “I have never, _ever,_ seen Ishvallans turn as red as their eyes before—or seen anyone run out of a room so fast. You’d think that they’d never seen three people—“

 

Dr. Knox coughed loudly, interrupting the man’s description.

 

“Anyway, Toots was so embarrassed she hid beneath the blankets, and wouldn’t come out . . . at least, till Ling and I climbed under the covers with her.”

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, I didn’t—wait, there are three of you?”

 

“Yep. I have two spouses. Polygamy is normal in Xing.” The man gave him another razor-blade grin. “It makes things fun.”

 

“I _didn’t_ need to know that. Now, will you take the damn pancakes in and shut the hell up. It looks like you have enough.”

 

“No way! Ling is as greedy as I am when it comes to food, and Lan Fan is no light weight either.” The man frowned at him. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

The man snapped his fingers as he thought. “I know I’ve seen you somewhere . . . “

 

“Unlikely.” Dr Knox sucked on his cigarette again, and let out a thin stream of smoke. He hoped he had another one on him—this one was almost done.

 

“Hey!” the man yelled. “You’re the doctor that saved Lan Fan when she cut off her arm! Dr. Knox, am I right?”

 

“Yeah . . .” _Lan Fan?_ Who the hell was Lan Fan? Then, the memory of the young Xingese girl who’d cut off her own arm and gone traipsing about in the sewer surfaced in his mind. Along with the memory of a young man who’d been frantic with worry over her—a young man who’d become Emperor.

 

Dr. Knox’s thoughts were cut off as the man suddenly punched him in the arm. “I owe you one for saving her, hey. Ling wanted to come and thank you personally, but he was having a bit of an identity crisis at the time.”  The man guffawed. “Identity crisis. Oh, I like that one.”

 

Dr Knox wasn’t paying attention. He was staring at the man’s left hand. There was a tattoo on it—a dragon biting its tail.

 

_That’s an ouroboros tattoo. But I thought only homunculi_ —Dr Knox sucked in a sharp breath.

 

The man frowned at him, and then followed the doctor’s gaze to his tattoo.

 

“That’s an ouroboros.”

 

“Yep. And, before you ask, yes, I’m a homunculus”

 

“T-then what the hell are you—”

 

“I’m here, on my honeymoon, with my spouses. That’s it. Don’t tell me you’re going to start running around, panicking like a headless chicken.” Dr. Knox scowled at him, and the man continued. “We’ve already told Scar-face that we were coming here, and what I was, and he was fine with it. Well, “fine” is pushing it. Put it this way: Mei convinced him to let us visit here, provided I’m on my best behaviour. And I will be . . . in public. With those two,” he gestured at the house. “I’m going to be very, very _bad_.”

 

Dr Knox sucked on his cigarette, realised it was done, and stubbed it out on his shoe. He checked his pockets and sighed in relief as he found another cigarette. He lit it and took several drags on it, before he felt stable enough to speak.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Greed the Avaricious.”

 

“Right. So, Greed, you’re not here to cause trouble?”

 

“I’m here on honeymoon! Ho-ney-moon! How many times do I have to say it?” Greed rolled his eyes. “All I want is to have a good time with my spouses. A pretty modest desire considering my track record.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Come off it, haven’t you had a honeymoon before?”

 

“Of course I did.”

 

Amelia and him had decided to go to the North for their honeymoon. They’d spent nearly two weeks drinking hot chocolate, snuggling by the fire and exploring a number of _interesting_ ways of keeping warm. Dr. Knox was jolted back to the present by the homunculus’ laugh.

 

“Now we’ve settled that, it reminds me . . . Ling and Lan Fan did invite you to our wedding—why didn’t you come?”

 

“It’s a bit of a pain in the ass to ride all the way to Xing for one damn wedding. So, you married the Emperor?”

 

“And the Imperial Guard, Lan Fan.”

 

“Right. So, why aren’t you in Xing?”

 

“Because we wanted to find somewhere the Xingese nobility couldn’t pester us. Mei suggested Ishval. She said there was great food, and plenty of peace and quiet. Plus, she had some letters she wanted us to pass on.” 

 

Greed finished off taking out the last of the pancakes, and piling them on the plates. He winked at Dr. Knox and scooped up the tray.

 

“I’d better get these back to my spouses—or Ling might collapse again. See ya.”

 

And, with that the man turned on his heel, and started towards the house. But, before he went in, he paused by the broken door, and called over his shoulder.

 

“Doc, you’d better be prepared for several invitations to dinner—Lan Fan and Ling were pretty upset that you didn’t come to our wedding, and I’m sure that they want to give you hell for it. But, that probably won’t be for a couple of days. I don’t plan to let either of my spouses leave the bed anytime soon.”

 

And with that, he vanished inside the house. Dr. Knox took several long pulls on the cigarette.

 

“I’m too old to deal with this crap,” he muttered and took another long drag of his cigarette, as he wondered how the hell he was going to tell his wife that they’d been invited to dinner by the Emperor of Xing, The Imperial Guard/Empress and their Homunculus husband.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope that you enjoyed this story and that it gave you a laugh.
> 
> I've had such fun writing for you all and I'm so pleased that you all enjoyed the story. I'm going offline for a while, since I write some major exams in August. I'll be back with a new story after they're done, though. I can't promise exactly when, since I don't what to make promises I can't keep, but at the very least you'll see it, before Christmas.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here's the story. If anyone has any comments or constructive criticism, feel free to drop me a review.
> 
> Also, I apologise if the formating is strange--I'm bad with uploading . . . .


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